


Out of The Barrio and into His Heart

by Benny_Boiii



Category: Hamilton - Miranda, In the Heights - Miranda/Hudes
Genre: Animal Transformation, Bisexuality, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gay, Gay Panic, George Washington is a Dad, Healthy Relationships, High School, High School Drama, High School Teachers, Light Angst, M/M, Modern Era, New York City, Romance, Shapeshifting, Smut, Teacher George Washington, Teacher romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:40:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 32,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23452618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Benny_Boiii/pseuds/Benny_Boiii
Summary: BASED OFF AN RP WITH THE INCREDIBLE Layaisdaboss HERE ON A03 AND @layayette_minibaguette on INSTAGRAM. LITERALLY COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT HER AND SHE IS SUCH AN AMAZING WRITER (BTW she also came up with the Title)Nickolas "Nico" Rosario is finally living his dream of getting out of his Aunt and Uncle's house and out into the world of NYC, working a meager job.. as a High School Spanish teacher... Not the glamours life he'd hoped for after moving to the stated from Puerto Rico but it's a start. What he didn't know, was that one of his new coworkers not only was smoking hot, but had a secret needing to be kept safe, and who just so happened to be craving the same thing Nico wasLove
Relationships: Aaron Burr/James Madison, Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler, Benny/Nina Rosario, Camila Rosario/Kevin Rosario, Carla/Daniela (In the Heights), George Washington/Original Character(s), George Washington/Original Male Character(s), Graffiti Pete/Sonny, Usnavi/Vanessa (In the Heights)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. First Day on the Job

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Layaisdaboss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Layaisdaboss/gifts).



> Nico finally leaves the Barrio and starts to settle into his new job, only to literally crash into the man of his dreams

The alarm woke me up suddenly from my dreamless sleep and I groaned tiredly before reluctantly rolling over and smashing the off button on the top of the cursed thing. I sighed and rubbed my face with my hands, hoping to rub the sleep from my eyes before opening them and staring up at the ceiling of my childhood room. A part of me hated that I still had to live here even though I was now well out of College, but my old part-time job as a barista wasn't enough to pay for rent, even in the Barrio. On the bright side of things though, I was able to stay where I was comfortable with all of my friends and family, but even still it felt weird now that we were all adults and busy with real life. I sighed sadly at all the past memories of life before reality before a sharp voice calling from downstairs shook me from my pleasant nostalgia 

"¡NICKOLAS! ¡VEN A BAJAR Y COMA! ¡NO QUIERES SER TARDE PARA TRABAJAR EN TU PRIMER DÍA!" I grumbled tiredly before forcing myself to get up and trudging to my closet "PRÓXIMAMENTE TÍA CAMILLA" I called back before throwing open my closet doors and sifting through all the drawers and hanging clothes. As much as I wanted to throw on my favorite flannel and pair of ripped jeans I knew it wouldn't be very professional, besides I was already worried about my my multiple ear piercings and long curly hair so I decided it was best not to risk the casual attire. I sighed to myself before pulling out a nice button up shirt and complementing slacks before closing the doors after staring longingly at my flannel which looked so damn comfortable. Before heading downstairs to be forced to eat at least 2 plates of food I paused by my bedside table and looked at my one reminder of my Puerto Rican home. I carefully picked up the golden locket and flipped open the cover to stare at the picture within of a young me and my happy parents. The photo had been taken a month before my departure for America, and was one of the last memories I had from the island.

"¡NICKOLAS!" My aunt called again and I groaned before putting the locket on and stomping downstairs "What, I'm here" I said before plopping down at the dinner table across from my Uncle who was reading the paper as he so often did in the mornings. My aunt Camilla poked her head out of the kitchen where the sweet aromas of breakfast wafted in "Gracias a Dios" she muttered before diving back into the kitchen "I was starting to think I would have to send Kevin up to get you!!" she called and my Uncle, Kevin, lowered his paper for a moment to reply "I would rather do the dishes after hosting the entire Barrio for dinner". I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my chair, bouncing my knee nervously as I did. To be honest, I was scared going into this new job, and had no clue what to expect. I worried for my safety, both as an immigrant, and as a gay man. Times have changed, but that doesn't mean everything is right in the world, especially at a rather conservative High School which was now employing me. How desperate must they be for a teacher-

"Nickolas stop leaning back in your chair, that's how it breaks you know" Camilla said before plopping a plate piled high with food in front of me. I sighed and righted myself before looking down at my plate. "Lo siento Tia" I muttered before picking up my fork and shoveling the freshly cooked food into my mouth. Normally I hated eating so much so quickly, but I was still in a rush even if I was tired as hell and didn't want to be subject to seconds. "Slow down there sobrino, you do not want to choke before your first day of real work" Kevin said without looking up from his paper and I rolled my eyes before swallowing and wiping my mouth off with my napkin "I won't" I said before standing up "Is my bag still by the door??" I asked before quickly leaving the table before Camilla could return with a second plate. "Where you left it, along with your expired subway ticket" Kevin called and I huffed in annoyance. Damnit, I thought I'd restocked it!!

"I'll get it taken care of" I called back before slipping on my shoes and slinging my bag over my shoulder. I was halfway to the door when Camilla appeared with more food "Nickolas you've barely eaten!! Come back and sit!!" she called "Sorry Tia I'm running late gotta go thanks bye!!" I gushed before rushing out the door and slamming it behind me. I took a moment to pause and take a deep breath before I situated my bag on my back and hoped down the stairs before looking up and down the block.which felt oddly empty this morning. It seemed like barely anyone was out which was very uncharacteristic of the Barrio I knew which was always teeming with street dancers, juvenile delinquents and the occasional walker, but I received my answer as thunder cracked overhead. I threw my head back and whined, already sick of the day and dreaming I could just crawl back into bed before hightailing it down the street, praying I wouldn't get caught in any downpour

Thankfully I reached my destination before any rain fell, and I slipped inside the doors of the Bodega. Up at the counter my friend Usnavi was chatting with two familiar woman while doing his best not to look too bored in front of them. I chuckled softly to myself before pushing past the other shoppers and making my way up to the counter "I'll have my regular order of café, extra cinnamon" I called which successfully attracted the attention of the two ladies. The things I do for my friends- The taller of the two (and frankly the more vocal) turned to me first and squealed happily "And there is his!!" she said before pulling me into a suffocating hug "Our little Nickolas off into the real world!!" "Heh- Thanks Dani-" I choked out before squirming to try and pull away. Any other man would've loved to be suffocated by Dainela's... uh.. assets.. but then again I wasn't any other man and instead was just awarded with extra uncomfortableness. Thankfully though, Dainela pulled away and turned back to the counter as I gasped for air. Carla, the other lady at the counter and Dani's girlfriend and work partner, giggled before hugging me too, thankfully without suffocating me 

"Good luck Nicki" She said cheerfully and I hugged back "Thanks Carla" I said sincerely, needing the bit of confidence from an old friend and fellow gay before Usnavi slid a cup of coffee over to me "Café with extra cinnamon" He said before turning to the register "Aye but what about our drinks?!" Dani asked in annoyance at being skipped. "Nico's got the priority, School starts soon and if he wants any hope of avoiding the rain he's gotta go now" Usnavi said while I pulled away from Carla to grab my wallet to pay. Usnavi though, just shook his head and pushed away the money I offered him "It's on the house, consider it a little gift" he said and I smiled before picking up my coffee. "Gracias Usnavi" I said and Usnavi chuckled "Anytime" he replied. "Well, I'm off" I said and waved before walking back to the door "Oh, and say Hi to Vanessa for me!!" I called and Usnavi waved back with a laughed "Will do, Adios!!" He called back and Dani and Carla mirrored his call. I smiled brightly before exiting the Bodega with a contented sigh

I knew I could always get a nice pick-me-up from the Bodega, and not just in the form of my caffeine addiction. I quickly dashed across the street, careful of any sudden taxis before racing down the block to the nearest subway station. After crowed stairs, lots of angry yelling, fighting with the stupid ticket machine, and getting lost underground I was finally on a train and headed in the direct to my future job location. I sat alone, avoiding eye contact with everyone else in the train while sipping at my coffee and pondering how the hell I was gonna manage this new job. It had been forever since I'd been in High School and I certainly did not remember liking it very much, plus, the only High Schooler I currently knew was a rather odd young man named Alexander Hamilton who recently immigrated from a small island in the West Indies and bared a striking resemblance to Usnavi which had earned him the nickname "Mini Usnavi". I rarely saw him much, but from what I heard no one really did, the only thing people really knew for sure about him was a strange and unique ability that had accidentally been uncovered one night back in July

Alex had finally been coaxed out of his apartment building but he seemed rather... off that night... and he'd suddenly disappeared only to be found later by Usnavi who'd gone in search of his mini doppelganger, only to find him curled up in a back alley in the form of a black panther. It had certainly scared everyone, but after realizing that Alex wasn't harmful and was really just scared of himself and of being found out, the people of the Barrio all pitched in and collectively swore to keep Alex's ability a secret. It certainly has been trying for everyone seeing as it went against everyone's instincts, but it's been worth it to make the anxious immigrant feel a little more at home 

I was jarred from my worries and memories when the train lurched to a stop and the doors opened. I looked at the map and realized I was at my stop before hoping up and rushing out the doors and up the stairs onto the street level. Rain had started to dribble down from the dark and cloudy so I downed my coffee, tossed the cup into a trash can and pulled out my phone to get the address of the school I was to be teaching at. After rushing from cover to cover trying to avoid getting wet I finally arrived at the school, and thankfully I was right on time. I looked around, taking in everything from the prison-like building to the few students that were scattered around before momentarily regretting my life choices and walking into the building. I'd never actually been inside, so going in had me a bit lost and confused before I spotted a desk with a very bored looking old woman sitting at the computer

I cleared my throat before walking over to her and speaking up "Uh excuse me??" I asked and the lady looked up "Can I help you??" she drawled out very unenthusiastically and I mentally sighed at how lack luster everything was "I'm Nickolas Rosario.. the new Spanish teacher??" I said and the lady looked at her computer for what seemed like an eternity "Oh yes.. The Principal will be seeing you in his office, second floor" she said curtly before turning back to her computer without another thought or instruction. "Right- Thank you-" I said before looking down the hall, not seeing any staircase. I turned back to the desk to ask for directions but found the lady had already gone back to work so I made up my mind to just walk until I found the stairs. Luckily I found them without too much trouble and soon I was standing in the Principal's office. The man at the desk looked up at me before slowly getting up, and I recognized him from my job interview "Mr. Rosaro" he said with fake cheerfulness as he offered me his hand which I shook with a grain of salt "Rosario-" I correctly meekly "That's what I said isn't it?? Come, let me show you to your classroom" he said and put his hand on my back and pushed me out of his office with a little too much force for my tastes

All I could do was walk as quickly as I could while praying I wouldn't accidentally get tripped up on anything as the Principal "escorted" me down the hall, stopping suddenly in front of an open classroom "Here we are" he said and pushed me in while flicking on the lights "Your teachers badge is on your desk, welcome to our School Mister Rosaro" he said before abruptly leaving "It's Rosari-" I started to say as I turned back towards the doorway before sighing in defeat once I realized he was gone. I looked back at my classroom and pursed my lips "Well this is quite the depressing room-" I said as I eyes the pealing cream paint and haphazardly placed desks that seemed much too crowded for anything, along with the rather childish and sparsely placed Spanish posters. I slowly made my way to the front of the room where a desk had been placed with a regular plastic chair like one the desks had. I didn't even get a comfy office chair the hell- I carefully set my bag on the desk, scared for a moment it might collapse before looking around the room once more "If I had the money- I'd definitely liven this place up" I said with a sigh before getting my laptop out of my bag and loading it up

I pulled up the papers I had downloaded for class and searched for the printer to use before hitting the print button. I gave my depressing classroom one last look before going on the hunt for the Teacher's Lounge or wherever my papers were now hopefully printing. After a couple rounds of trial and error on finding the room and a rather long line of waiting at the printer I had my papers and began heading back to my classroom... wherever it was- While being shoved into the room unceremoniously I'd forgotten to take a look at the room number and was now hopelessly lost with only a couple minutes to find my class before the bell would ring to signal the start of school. For a moment I was beginning to panic before I turned a corner where suddenly finding my room became the last of my worries

I crashed into something hard, yet a little bit soft which lead me to believe it was a person, and a rather large person because the force of running into them was enough to knock me flat on my ass and send my papers flying everywhere in the hall. I rubbed my nose which hurt a little bit from the collision before hearing a gasp and a rustle of papers "I'm so so sorry I didn't see you there" A deep, yet melodious male voice said. Guess I'd met my first coworker of the day. "It's fine, don't worry I wasn't paying attention" I said before looking up to see whoever I'd run into. The man was as I suspected, big, and even crouched down I could tell he was rather tall, and who undeniably would no doubt tower over me. Though it was hard to tell as he was wearing sleeves, I could see he had tan skin and as my eyes traveled up to his face my heart immediately began to race. He looked exactly like an old friend of mine, and now that I saw his face I realized their voices even sounded the same, the only difference was instead of shortly cropped, dark curly hair, this man had an odd mixture of that, and strangely thick tanish blond hair. It was an odd clash that resembled a Lion's mane almost, but I pushed the thought away for now and instead busied myself with picking up the scattered papers instead of looking at the smoking hot man across from me

"I can do this on my own.. you don't have to help" I said and looked up for a moment but the man in front of me just shook his head "No no it's fine, it's only fair" he said as he stayed focused on picking up my papers. We must not have been looking at each other out of awkwardness while we worked because we ended up going for the same paper, causing our hands to touch. Call it clique, but dammit my heart fluttered at the touch of his hand. I looked up at the man in front of me and found he was doing the same and our eyes met and instantly I got lost in his beautifully enchanting chocolate honey colored eyes. I felt my face flush red and I quickly looked away before standing up and gathering the papers I had collected. Goddammit why did I have to run into the hottest teacher there- The man gave me the papers he had collected and I clumsily took them "Th-Thank you-" I stuttered before absent mindlessly brushing a piece of hair out of my face and tucking it behind my ear. "Like I said, it's alright" the man said with a chuckle that made my heart skip a beat. That chuckle was the most amazing sound I had ever heard- I tried to clear my head before looking back up at the other teacher and offering him my hand "Nickolas Rosario.. I'm the new Spanish teacher" I said as he took my hand in a firm handshake. I silently cursed myself for being so love stricken before casting a glance at his hand. No wedding band- Perfect

"George Washington" He said in that godforsaken melodious voice "It's a pleasure to meet you Nick"


	2. Gay Panic and Late Night Renovations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and George slowly grow closer after Nico survives his first class

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again this couldn't be possible without the amazing Layaisdaboss so pleaseeeeee go read all of their works and give them kudos or I will steal your knee caps (Not actually, but still)

Gooood fuck I was probably blushing so hard but I didn't care. I managed a smile up at George before pulling my hand away "I uh.. I think I'm a bit lost-" I admitted with a sheepish chuckle. "Oh no worries, I think I know where your classroom is, I'd be happy to take you" George said. "You'd do that?? I'd be honored" I said while internally cursing myself for seeming too enthusiastic. Calm down Nickolas- he might not even be gay. For the love of all that is good and holy please be gay- "Yeah of course, it's not an issue at all" George said and flashed me a smile and through my gay panic I could've sworn his teeth looked way too big and sharp to be human teeth. I easily brushed the thought from my mind as George started leading me down the hallway "So what brings you to teaching??" He asked and I shrugged "I honestly just needed a job that pays decently so I could try and move out of my Aunt and Uncles" I said with a slight chuckle. George laughed and my heart fluttered at the sounds of it before he spoke "That's exactly how I was when I first moved here. Not the best but hey, it'll do" he said and I smiled up at him

"What subject do you teach??" I asked to keep the conversation rolling "Too many, I double as a substitute, full time teacher, and baseball and basketball coach" George said and I stopped in my tracks "Oh my god.. That's so many classes though, how do you keep up with it??" I asked and George chuckled "A lot of patience and the fact that it earns me a little extra dough at the end of the day" he said as I caught up to him again. "Oh.. well I suppose that's true.. but can I ask you something else??" I asked and George nodded "Go ahead, we're almost to your classroom by the way" he said and my heart sank. I didn't want to part so soon, and I wished I could just stay and talk with George for forever, but I only had enough time for one question so I asked what had been pooling at the back of my mind since I saw him and got over the initial shock of how drop dead gorgeous he was. The hair, the sharp teeth... it reminded me too much of Alex, and I had to know... "What's up with your hair??" I asked and this time it was George's turn to pause. He ran a hand absent mindlessly though his hair and I could practically see his mind racing as he tried to come up with an explanation. Oh yeah, unmistakably exactly like Alex

"Just a bad hair day" George joked and I went along with it for now "Boy do I get that" I said before tossing a curl of my hair for effect. George laughed, that sweet sound filling up the hallway before the bell rang and drowned it out. I wanted to destroy that bell so I could hear George's laugh for longer but sadly it wasn't meant to be "Shit I gotta go to class, I guess I'll see ya around Nicholas." George said and offered me a smile "Oh and, I can give you my number if you have any more questions or ever get lost again and need me to come find you" he said as he pulled out his phone. My heart nearly beat out of my chest and it took all of my willpower to convince myself that this was just a friendly coworker giving me help and not an attempt at flirting... but dammit I really wanted it to be flirting... 

"Oh yeah, thank you so much" I said as I slipped my own phone from my back pocket praying that George didn't pay too much attention to my rainbow and glittery phone case before hurriedly typed the number George showed me. We quickly said goodbye to each other before George dashed down the hallway and instantly I lost him in the surge of students flooding the halls. I sighed dreamily before slipping into my classroom and weaving my way though the desk and up to my front desk. I forwent the stupid plastic chair and just sat on the desk (which honestly was more natural to me and my gay instincts of sitting on any sort of counter) and watched as students slowly filed into the class. Many seemed like older/upperclassmen with a few younger students which lead me to believe that this was a high level class, and my suspicions were confirmed when I saw Alexander sulk in and hide himself in the back corner of the room. Alex wouldn't be in a beginner class as Spanish was his first language, so I sighed softly with relief to myself as my job would be made easier if these students were all advanced in the language

The bell rang and I jumped at the unexpectedness of it, causing a couple of the students to giggle. Scratch that- this would job still be hard as hell- Being a new teacher was hard enough but joining in the middle of the year like I'd just done was about to prove to be even harder. Nonetheless, I took a deep breath, cleared my throat, and tried to not get siked out by all of the students who were staring at me, waiting for me to say something, anything at all. "Hola Clase" I finally managed to say, which was met by a couple grumbled "Hellos" at best and silence at worst. Oh boy- I pushed all the negativity out of my mind and just started talking, hoping to break the awkwardness that weighed heavily on the room. "Some of you've probably guessed that I'm the new Spanish teacher, and clearly you'd be correct as I have no clue what to do" I said which awarded me with a couple laughs. Laughter was always a good start, just keep going

"If you don't know what you're doing then why are you here??" A kid called up, causing some kids to laugh while the boy next to him reached across the gap created by the aisle and smacked his shoulder "Dude come on, he's clearly trying" the kid said and the first one scoffed "Clearly he isn't trying hard enough" he said before holding his hand to his mouth like he was covering a yawn. Great, my first stickler. And possibly my first class stoner. How wonderful, a two for one deal. "I'm here to try and make an honest living and to hopefully inspire teenagers to explore the world around them through the Latino and Hispanic culture" I said which got the class to stop murmuring. "There. Now that you all are silent I suppose I need to take role" I said before going to sit back on my desk as I opened up my computer again. After navigating the school software I managed to open up the role list and began calling names. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but I learned that my juvenile delinquent was named James Reynolds, and the kid who had stuck up for me was named Hercules Mulligan which would do me good to remember

"Ok, now that role has been taken I'm going to set a couple rules for the classroom" I said and several of the kids groaned. "I know I know, rules suck, trust me, but I think these will really help to make the class run smoother, and be a positive environment for everyone" I said. James went to open his mouth, probably to make a smart ass comment but I just barreled past it and kept talking "Rule one and my most important rule, no derogatory terms of any kind. No Faggot, no Retard, no N-word, no anything of the sort. I will have a zero tolerance policy for that rule" I said sternly and paused for a moment to see if anyone would speak up. "Rule two, No electronics during class" I said and the class all collectively groaned. "I cannot have everyone cheating by using Google Translate on everything, so things will be done orally, or by hand. This is an advanced class so you should be well prepared to do this" I said and crossed my arms, waiting for anyone to speak up. A young girl in a yellow sun dress raised her hand and I nodded to her "What if you don't know how to say something??" She asked "Then you just ask me. Just say 'Como se dice' and then the word you want to say. I'll tell you how to say it and how to spell it if you need that" I responded and she seemed satisfied with the answer I'd given her

"Rule three.. um..-" I started to say before stumbling over my own words. Crap I didn't really have a rule three- "You know what, I'll get back on that" I said and nervously chuckled, leaving many students looking unamused. I mentally groaned at how hard this whole teaching thing actually was before sucking it up and continuing with the class. After an eternity of awkwardly trying to engage the class while trying not to make a complete fool of myself the bell rang and the period ended. Students immediately sprang out of their seats and headed for the door before I could even say goodbye. I sighed and rubbed my temples, trying to erase my miserable failure at trying to teach before a ding from my computer alerted me to an email I had received. I assumed it was from the Principal, already hearing of my botched teaching job and ready to fire me, but instead the email address was one I didn't recognize until I got a better look

George.Washington@NYCISD.org. It was the hot- I mean kind teacher from before. I quickly opened the email and skimped though it to find a helpful bell schedule and school calendar and even a sign up sheet for discounted lunches. Why hadn't I received this from my employer?? I pushed that thought aside before reading the note George had sent along with the helpful links [To Mr. Rosario, Nicholas, I hope I got the right email, It took me almost an hour of searching but I finally found it hidden in the school staff records, and don't worry, I didn't do any snooping on anything they had on record. Attached to this email I've sent you some links that I hope you will find useful during your time teaching here, as well as a formal invitation to join me in the Teacher's lounge for a cup of coffee during the student advisory period. Of course if you would rather prefer to adjust to your room then I will not take it personally, after all the choice is yours. With regards, G.Wash]

I stared at the screen, rereading the email over and over again, soaking in as much as I could from George's perfect grammar, professional signature, and ESPECIALLY his invitation for coffee. Of course he said it would be completely formal, but hey, a man can hope that the hot teacher was gay. I quickly closed my laptop before sliding off of my desk and walking out of my classroom, not bothering to close it because let's face it, no one would want anything in that room. I traced the path I'd taken that morning to the Teacher's Lounge and when I opened the door I was surprised to find it was empty, all except for George who was casually leaning against a counter by the coffee machine. He looked up as he heard the door click shut behind me and he met me with a kind and pleasantly surprised smile. Oh my god he had an adorable tooth gap why hadn't I noticed it before I'd already stared at his face a bunch- I mean what- Focus Rosario-

"Mr. Rosario, or can I call you Nick or Nicholas??" George asked as he motioned for me to join him by the coffee pot while I chuckled softly "What ever makes you feel the most comfortable of course, I don't mind at all, but what should I call you?? I asked, not wanting to seem rude. "George is fine, and I hope you don't mind if I call you Nicholas for now" George said and I nodded quickly "Oh not at all, I don't mind it" I said and flashed George a smile. I wasn't used to hearing my name pronounced the English way, and normally I would've corrected whoever had said it wrong, but with George.. it seemed almost cute when he did it. God how head over heels was I already- George smiled back, a rather large canine flashing for a moment before the coffee machine let out an annoying beep to signal that it was done. George grabbed two mugs from the counter and handed one to me "Don't worry, they're mine. The school offers communal mugs but-" he started to say before shuddering "Anyways I made sure to clean it" he added and I gratefully took the cup "Gracias" I said out of habit, even though I accidentally confused George with my Spanish

"I'm gonna assume that means thank you" He said before letting out that oh so beautiful chuckle. "Oh my gosh- My bad it's just a habit when you live in a Spanish speaking part of town" I said and laughed. "Nah I get it, I live kinda close to an area like that" George said as he poured some coffee into his mug and I completely froze. I wasn't aware of any other neighborhoods like the Barrio... maybe.. oh god what if- "Oh no way, where do you live by??" I risked, praying it didn't come off as too stalkerish . "Hm.. I think an area called Washington Heights.. which I think is kinda ironic cause y'know, My name, the name of the place" George said and chuckled before setting the coffee pot down and sliding it over to me. I tried as hard as I could to keep my hands from trembling as I poured my own cup of coffee while thanking George. HOW LONG HAVE I LIVED JUST A COUPLE STREETS AWAY FROM THIS HOTTIE?!

George took note of my sudden nerves and he quirked a thick eyebrow at me in question. My god those eyebrows were so handsome- "Everything alright??" George asked as I nodded before raising the mug to my lips "Mhm- just first day nerves" I said, half lying as I took a sip of the bitter yet addictive and energizing drink. George let out another heavenly chuckle before speaking. "I totally get how you feel, though I had the support of my family, and the fact that I couldn't get fired for being bisexual thanks to the EEOC laws to keep me company" he said and I nearly spat out my coffee. HOLY FUCK HE'S BISEXUAL!! HALLELUJAH MY DREAMS ARE ONE STEP CLOSER TO COMING TRUE!!. George gave me an odd look and I realized that my reaction could've been taken as homophobic so I quickly set down my mug and held up my hands "N-No I'm not homophobic don't worry!! I mean- I can't really be homophobic cause I'm gay- I mean I'm just glad that there's people like me- I mean- Fuck!!" I cursed, burying my face in my hands as it turned bright red from embarrassment

George let out a hearty laugh and he had to lean on the counter to support himself. My face burned even more and I let out a nervous chuckle before George eventually calmed down. I finally lifted my head to find George smiling at me and I went back to blushing madly from his adorable smile. "You said you're gay right??" George asked and I paused, taking a moment to register that I'd accidentally just come out to my crush- I mean coworker. I nodded before desperately trying to stop the burning in my cheeks "Y-yeah.. I'm Gay" I said and looked up at George and I swear I thought I saw a flash of... relief in his eyes. Was he relieved I was gay?? And if he was, was it for the reason I prayed it was?? "I had a bit of a feeling, you just gave out Gay vibes and plus, the Bi-fi don't lie" George said with a wink. Well there went my attempts at trying not to get too flustered-

I chuckled even though I could tell my face was still beat red before the bell rung and we were torn from our bliss. Well, at least I was torn from bliss. George sighed softly before downing the rest of his coffee and I followed suit even though it was still pretty hot. I offered George back his mug but he just shook his head "It's fine, you can keep it. It'll be nice to have to it to keep here so you don't have to worry about ever forgetting a mug" he said and offered me a soft smile. I copied it before taking the mug and smiling back "Muchos Gracias" I said "Thank you so much" I added so that George wouldn't get confused by my Spanish. Afterwards I rushed out quickly since I could tell my face was still red before hurriedly walking back to my classroom

I weaved my way through the desks and back up to my front desk and sat down with a sigh. I carefully tucked George's mug away before a ding from my computer alerted me to another email. It was actually from the Principal this time, and it was a schedule of my classes. Currently I had an off period which was supposed to be used to catch up on grading.. which I didn't currently have since this was my first day of teaching so I decided to idly pass the time by contemplating if I actually had a shot at trying to date George. I knew he was Bisexual.. and for all I knew he wasn't dating anyone, which were two major pluses for me. But what did I have to offer him?? I was new and we barely knew each other... plus I mean- I wasn't quite exceptional in anything. Oh well.. a man could dream-

Thankfully the next classes went by without being a total disaster like my first one, probably because they were lower level classes meaning a lot of the students were younger and a little more willing to actually participate. I was packing my stuff to go home before the intercom in my room blazed to life with the Principal's voice "Attention all teachers and staff members. Our counselor has just been hired at a new school and is moving out today. To help, we suggest that anyone who wishes to take anything from her office to act now. Everything from that room must be gone as it will be re-purposed into another bathroom. We'd also like everyone to wish our counselor a lovely goodbye". I set down my bag an looked around my lackluster room and decided it was worth a shot to check out what the counselor had in her room. I left quickly, knowing that I would probably get lost on the way

By the time I finally found the office it was completely empty except for rub that wasn't exactly eye catching and a string of fairy-lights that had been left on the wall. I sighed before going to collect my bleak prizes before taking it all back to my room to see if I could do anything with that I had. As I arrived at my room I was surprised to see a pile of various objects and a familiar face leaning against the wall. "George?!" I asked in disbelief and the hot man looked over at me and smiled "Hey Nicholas, I thought I might get you some things to make your room less.. uh-" he started to say but I finished for him "Depressing??" I asked and George chuckled, that sweet sound a comfort to my ears. "Yeah that. Besides, I think it'll help make a better impression on the students" He said as I walked closer to inspect what all George had grabbed "I just kinda grabbed what would look nice" He admitted and it was my turn to chuckle "It all looks amazing" I said and George smiled "Let's see... 2 bean bags, a mini fridge, and this thing that no one was really going for and I thought it might be neat" he said and I inspected the bucket that George was talking about that seemed to be full of fidget toys

"It's all amazing, thank you so so much" I said sincerely and for a moment I swore I saw a light blush on George's cheeks. I giggled softly before walking into my classroom, unceremoniously dropping the rug on the floor with a sigh and untangling the fairy-lights from where I had them draped across my shoulders. George appeared a moment later with a bean bag slung over his shoulder which he plopped on top of a desk as he surveyed the room. "Where should we put all this stuff??" He asked before I looked up at him "We?? Oh.. I can do this all on my own" I said and George looked down at me "Nah it's fine, I don't have anything to grade right now and I'd rather be doing something useful instead of just going home and being a bum on the couch. Besides, I know you'd do the same thing for me" he said and offered me a smile. I gratefully returned it before turning my attention back to the crowed room

"Hm.. well I'd rather just get rid of these desks altogether and just trade them out for normal desks... if I recall correctly I hated these desks while I was in school cause they were always so uncomfortable" I said and George nodded "Yeah same, and I get so many students telling me the same thing" He said "I'm not sure where to find tables though- and this is a lot to move" I said and looked up at George just in time to see his eyes light up with an idea. Oh god it was so cute- "I know where we can find some tables and chairs. There's a storage room that no one uses full of stuff like this. I think we'd be able to get in there and swap these desks for those" He said and I smiled "That sounds perfect" I said "But again, you don't have to help me" I said and George just waved it away "Like I said, I don't mind it at all, now come on, if we want any hope of finishing before nighttime then we should probably get moving" He said

By the time we had completely finished it was dark outside and we were both exhausted, but man did I feel satisfied with our work. We'd taken the childish and rather offensive Spanish posters off of the walls with the promise to come back during the weekend to do a new paint job on the pealing walls. We successfully swapped out all of the crappy desks for the tables we'd found and had them all situated into pods that made moving around the room much more easier, and with the things George and I had grabbed from the ex-counselor's office we were able to create a chill-zone at the back of the classroom. We put down the rug and put the beanbags on it before plugging in the fairy-lights and mini fridge with the box of fidget toys next to it for students to use whenever they liked. We were both collapsed into the two bean bag chairs, drained yet content with our work. We both let out a contented sigh and laughed "I think we did well" I said and George nodded in agreement "Definitely, this looks so much more appealing" he said before I got up and stretched

I could hear little pops from my back as I did and chuckled softly before going over to my stuff to gather it all to leave. "I can't thank you enough for helping me.. there was no way I would've been able to do this on my own without being forced to stay the night" I said as profoundly as I could manage and George beamed with pride "Don't mention it, it was actually kinda fun" He said and I laughed softly. "Hey do you need a ride?? It's dark out and I'm not sure how safe it would be for someone to be walking around at this time" George said but I waved it off "Ahh I'm fine, I'm un Neoyorquino, I've lived here in Nueva York for most of my life" I said and offered George a smile. Instead George just furrowed his brows in worry before standing up and walking over to me, his eyes almost pleading as he spoke "Please... I just want you to be safe" he said and my voice nearly caught in my throat before speaking

"I'm fine George" I repeated "I'll take the subway if it makes you feel better" I added and George sighed, though I couldn't tell if it was from worry or relief. "Alright.." he said and looked away slightly and my heart sank. I didn't want George to worry about me, so I bit the inside of my cheek before a solution popped into my head "Hey... I've still got your number right?? I can just text you if anything comes up ok??" I said and that answer seemed to satisfy George enough. "Good, I'll keep in touch ok??" he said and I nodded "Gotcha" I said and George managed a slight smile "I'll see you tomorrow" I offered and George crossed back to the door "See ya Nick" he said before leaving to get his own things from his classroom. I sighed softly to myself before trying to process what had just happened. Was George just worried about me as a coworker or was it...

Something else...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't come at me for writing Nickolas a million different ways aight?? I'm trying to show George not being able to pronounce Spanish also I kinda forgot how to write Nickolas normally so shhhh. Also I literally lost like half of this chapter so i'm sorry if it seems a bit off for some reason. Screw Technology


	3. My hopes and Dreams come true (Well, really only one dream but, you get the point) ft. Cute Coffee Shop Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico's prays are finally answered as George asks him out for coffee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dunno how much of this chapter is gonna be the actual date, butttt I've got a headache and I'm running on what feels like 3 hours of sleep so bare with me please (Also idk if I mentioned this but this all takes place 4 years after ITH's but in a time closer to now cause RP LOGIC. So don't freak if some characters are older than they were in the musical)

I walked home quickly, not stopping unless I absolutely had to until I was only a couple blocks away from my house, if you could even call it that. I regretted not taking George's offer for a ride but hey, I didn't want to seem too forward after only knowing him for a day (even though I was already hopelessly head over heels for him) I slowed my pace until I arrive at my home, opening the door and expecting silence until my tia appeared and nearly screamed. "¡Dios mío, Nickolas! ¡Creí que algo había sucedido! Why were you out so late?!" she rushed over to me and took my face into her hands, checking for any sort of injury. I pulled away and brushed myself off before fixing my hair which Camilla had accidentally messed up. It was more of a habit as apposed to actually caring much about my looks

"Estoy bien tia, I was just up at school fixing up my classroom, you should've seen it, it was like a cell" I said before trying to push past her to go up the stairs to my room, only to have her grab my arm. She may be getting close to her sixties, but that woman still had a strong grip dios mío- "School ends at 4:30 from what you told us, it's nearly 8!!" Camilla said as I tried to pry my arm away "Tia I'm fine alright?? It was a lot of renovations now can I go to bed I'm tired" I said before Camilla dragged me to the dinner table "No, not until you eat something, you forgot your lunch in your rush to leave us and I am not sending you to bed without eating" She said sternly before forcing me into a chair. I sighed and picked at my nails as Camilla went into the kitchen to heat up the dinner I'd missed

A moment later she returned with a plate piled high with food and I tried to hide my annoyance before beginning to eat "I want you to eat this plate and another to make up for missing lunch. Honestly Nickolas how have you made it this whole day with barely any food, you're already tiny enough" Camilla ranted and I groaned with a mouth full of food. I swallowed and wiped my mouth before answering "I'm just smaller, I don't as much food as other people" I said with a shrug before going back to eating so Camilla wouldn't yell at me. "But you're still as active if not more so than other people. You can't just keep skimping out on food like you've done or else there won't be any of you left" Camilla warned and it took all of my willpower not to roll my eyes

I was always getting teased because of my small stature as compared to someone like my friend Benny who was a mass of muscle and topping 6 feet to boot, but I didn't mind it too much now that I was older and more mature. A smaller stature meant being able to be more agile, and when I was playing football in college that was super important, plus it meant I could outrun any Barrio thug better than most, even if it meant constantly being picked on by my younger cousin Nina who'd grown to be taller than me. Yett o mi tia my small stature was a sign that I just wasn't getting enough food, hence her reasoning behind me having to shovel at least 2 plates of food down my gullet, no matter how sick I'd felt afterwards. But I kept doing it so I wouldn't have an angry Latina woman yelling at me to eat cause trust me, that is the last thing you want to be seeing, especially if you were tired like I was

After finishing the two plates I asked where my tio Kevin was and Camilla pointed down the hall to their room "Long day" she said without elaborating any further which I took as my cue to shut up and leave. I nodded to mi tia before wishing her a goodnight and booking it up the stairs. I quickly stripped down into my boxers before throwing on a pair of sweatpants and crawling into bed, staring up at the Puerto Rican flag I'd posted up there when I was a kid. I had various other posters in my room, a lot of them about football players, but out of all of them the PR flag was my most precious one. It was a reminder of who I was and where I came from, a place that I might never see again. I sighed and took the locket off of my neck, relaxing once the cool metal was gone before flipping it open to thumb the picture inside

It was hard to see in the dark, but I knew it so well I could just picture every little detail in my mind. It made me depressed to realize that this was all I had from the island, but at the same time it was an object of comfort, and a reminder that I was sent here to live a better life. My parents saw enough potential in me to send me a sea away to get the things I deserved to have... It was a lot to think about, and even now as an adult it was hard to grasp... but here I was. My first real job and my first real glimpse of love since PR. I wonder what my parents would've thought if they knew about me being gay...

The next few days were mostly a blur as nothing could compare to the shock of my first day on the job and meeting George. Though I was pleasantly surprised to see that at the end of each class, there would be a little token in the back zone, from water bottles, to snacks, to even pillows that student had brought. It made me relax, and it felt nice to know that my efforts to engage with the students wasn't going unnoticed by them. By the end of the first week not only had I made a nice impression on the students, but I'd also made a fantastic effort to get closer to George, which in the end rewarded me with the exchange I had been fantasizing about since we ran into each other at the beginning of the week

He caught me on my way out, my small amount of grading having been completed and myself ready to go home for the weekend. "Nick!!" I heard him call while I was locking up my classroom and I turned to face him with a smile "Hola George" I said back cheerfully as George came to a stop next to me. His oddly animalistic features had disappeared after that first day, and looking at him while he was decisively more human made me want him even more. AND NOT IN A SEXUAL ASPECT (though I must admit it would've been nice- FOCUS ROSARIO-) "Excited for your first weekend??" George asked and I chuckled before nodding "God yes, I've been waiting since Monday" I said and George laughed "Boy do I know how that feels" He said before nodding his head down the hall "Come on, lemme walk you out, we can keep chatting till I get to my car" he offered and I smiled "Sounds great"

We chatted lightly, mainly about how the week was and gossiping about trouble making students. Turns out I had been right on my assumptions about James Reynolds, and I'd managed to pick pocket his... whatever the kids called it- from him while I had all the students up and shaking hands, but I was only able to after a tip I'd gotten from George about how kids tend to hide their drug usage in class. See kids, gossip can be fun and even useful. As for my pick pocketing ability, I only learned it as a fun tease for my friends, I never steal stuff from people unless they absolutely deserve it. Also I just like taking Usnavi's keys to the bodega any chance I get. Anyhow as George and I were chatting I noticed he seemed rather on edge, and I decided to ask about it, hoping I wasn't accidentally intruding on something personal

"Is everything alright?? You seem really tense??" I asked and George stopped, causing me to stop with him. He took a deep breath before looking down at me and I could finally see just how nervous he was, his own anxiousness causing me to grow a bit weary as well. "I am.. but it's nothing serious.. It's just- I -uh-" George stammered before his face flushed red. Now I was downright confused, but I also refused to let any of my hopes get up. He was not about to confess his love to me, he was not about to confess his love to me, he was not about to confess his love to me-

"George??" I asked tentatively and George groaned in frustration before face palming himself. After a moment he composed himself and looked back down at me "Would you like to get coffee with me this weekend- and not.. necessarily as co-workers-" George mumbled and my heart nearly exploded from my chest. OH MY GOD HE JUST CONFESSED HIS LOVE TO ME!! Sort of- actually no I was getting way ahead of myself here- this was just one date... (*casual screams of delight*). I tried to keep my happiness from being blatantly obvious but when I finally spoke it came out as a cracked gush "oF cOurse I would!!". My face immediately heated up from embarrassment and soon it was my turn to face palm, thought the gesture made George laugh, a gesture that helped to settle the butteries that were zooming around in my stomach. I cleared my throat before composing myself and trying again

"That sounds amazing, I'd love to" I forced myself to say and George beamed "Oh thank god-" he muttered to himself before smiling back to me "So.. tomorrow morning at 9?? I can send you the location of a Starbucks nearby" he offered and I nodded, not trusting myself to say anything without my voice horrendously cracking again. George smiled before waving and quickly dashing out the doors, calling out a goodbye as the doors slammed closed behind him. It took all of my energy not to scream at that moment, and my body ached as I held still to keep from breaking out into an embarrassing happy dance that would've surely been caught on the security cameras. No no, I would save that for my room

I rushed home, high off of the sudden adrenaline boost that accompanied the date invitation before arriving back in the Barrio and bursting through the bodega happily, nearly scaring Usnavi as he was counting the money from the register, though I knew I scared his younger cousin Sonny based on the sudden screech an aisle away from the door "wHaT tHe hELL mAn" I heard not too long after and I doubled over in laughter before going to check on him. It was so weird seeing Sonny as an adult now, but my one comfort was that he was still as shrimpy as me, though he did have a beard coming in,the likes of which would almost make Usnavi jealous. Though dispite his age, he still acted like the little kid everyone knew him as "Lo siento Sonny, I'm just in a good mood" I said as Sonny picked up whatever he had dropped

"Man I was almost done shelving-" He muttered and I chuckled to myself before grabbing a pack of m&m's off of the shelf and bringing them up the counter. Usnavi raised an eyebrow at me before scanning the candies as I put some money on the counter "You rarely eat candy" he noted and I just flashed him a smile "Call it treating myself" I said as I grabbed the m&m's off of the counter "Wanna explain further or would you rather keep me in the dark??" Usnavi asked and I chuckled "As soon as word slips to Dani she'll be all over it in an instant so for now I must keep it all secret" I said with fake grandeur, causing Usnavi to laugh "Alright alright, can't wait to hear all about it from Daniela" he said and I laughed with him before saying my goodbyes to both him and Sonny and strolling back home

My cheerful mood threw both Camilla and Kevin for a loop, and when I ate 2 plates of dinner without complaining Camilla checked my temperature "You better not be sick" she warned and I laughed it off "I'm not sick tia, don't worry about me" I said before going upstairs, leaving my aunt and uncle speechless. Once in my room I shut the door and flopped on my bed, finally letting myself scream happily into the pillow before getting up and dancing around like an idiot. I continued until I was out of breath before flopping back down onto my bed and squealing happily again "I can't believe this is really happening" I said cheerfully to myself before my phone buzzed and I jumped to pull it out of my back pocket

It was a text from George and I read through it quickly, my adrenaline rush still carrying me through to the end [Hey Nick, you ok if we push back to 11?? My older brother is across seas with the army and he's finally able to call me tomorrow but he can only do it in the morning. I am so sorry that this is sudden and I do not want to completely change out date date, but I just wanted to check with you, I already sent the link to the directions if you're still up for it]. My heart dipped when I started reading before it returned back to normal and I texted back [Of course!! I see no issue with it, I'll see you tomorrow at 11!!]. I sighed contently before staring up at the ceiling and letting my mind race with happy thoughts before I eventually passed out once my adrenaline rush finally subsided

The next morning I awoke pretty early thanks to my stupid alarm which I'd forgotten to turn off for the weekend. I groaned and shut it off before rubbing my eyes and checking the time, only to find I had a couple hours before my date with George. I sighed and forced myself to get up so I could begin the process of freshening up and making myself presentable, after all I finally had a chance to wear my gayest clothes without it being weird. The first thing I did was take a shower because I was a morning shower person and anyone who thinks otherwise is just stupid to me (no offense but why shower at night AFTER going out for the day, it just makes no sense)

As much as I wanted to I forwent washing my hair cause lord knows it wouldn't dry in time for my date, and I didn't want to mess up the curls with a blow dryer which was a tip I picked up from Dani and Carla thanks to their years of hair-dressing. Once I stepped out of the shower and was mostly dried off I looked at myself in the mirror after wiping away the steam that had appeared after my shower. Even though I was well into my 20's I didn't have a single bit of facial hair that even thought to appear which didn't bother me that much as it just made my facial routine so much easier without annoying hair getting in the way. Once I had that out of the way I looked at myself again and smiled at the vision I was greeted with. Hey, I may not be model material but self confidence and love is still super important

Once I was completely dried off I went to my closet and rummaged around for the best/gayest outfit I could find. It ended up being my favorite red and black flannel with black suspenders and matching black ripped jeans combined with a chain belt that helped tie it all together. I never was one to actually need a belt as my hips were rather- feminine- but I liked the aesthetic the belt gave and besides, ain't anything gayer than a chain belt. Once that was all taken care off I grabbed my locket from the bedside table and put it on before changing the two piercings on my earlobes to match my outfit and giving myself one last look in the mirror "Goddamn you handsome man" I said to myself and laughed before heading downstairs. I still had about 30 minutes before our date, so I decided to spend it by just walking around

When I got downstairs though Camilla tried to get me to eat breakfast but I told her I was going out with a friend and she let me pass. Kevin on the other hand gave me a suspicious look over his newspaper, especially at my outfit "Te ves como un punk Nickolas" He said and I paused for a moment "Well it wasn't my intention" I lied before checking to make sure I had my phone and my wallet, plus the pack of m&m's I bought for George yesterday in the bodega as a goft. "Where are you meeting your friend??" Kevin asked and I groaned internally at the interrogation that I knew was building up. Kevin and I- didn't really get along too much, I never really understood why but it probably had to do with his favoritism towards Nina, who in all fairness was his actual daughter. But I was still family, and his only reminder of the brother he'd left while feeling to America from Puerto Rico when he was young

"Just to a Starbucks not too far away" I said "And why there and not an actual diner?? Or one that is in the Barrio" Kevin asked and I shrugged "It was just the first place we could think of that wasn't too far away from either of us" I replied and Kevin lowered his paper **_(_** **_note from author- the following bit contains a little bit of uh... well you could maybe call it racism, but this is just how Kevin's character was in the musical towards non-latinos, as much as I hate it and do not agree with it at all, this is just how his character is so if you don't like this topic skip ahead to after Nico leaves, I'll put an asterisk so it's easy to find)_ ** "Is he Latino??" he asked and I shuddered. I hated Kevin's look on anyone who wasn't Latino and it made me sick, especially considering he was extra harsh towards my best friend Benny for dating his daughter. He hated them being together, and tried everything to keep them apart, but the rest of us (Including Camilla) stepped in to try and help the two out. As much as I hated seeing Benny with my cousin, they were really happy together, which was what I wanted for them

"No" I said plainly "And why did you assume it was a guy??" I asked and crossed my arms in defiance. "If it was a girl I would be shocked" Kevin said "And you know how I feel about Non-Latinos so why even bother when there are plenty of people in the Barrio" I bit the inside of my cheek and tried to shoot something back at him before Camilla slammed down a plate of food on the table "Kevin enough" She said sternly and Kevin grumbled before hiding behind his paper. Camilla turned to me with a sigh before speaking with an apologetic tone on Kevin's behalf "I am very glad you're socializing with people at work, it's very good for you" she said and I managed to smile back "Gracias Tia" I said before glaring at Kevin's behind his paper before heading for the door "I'll probably go hang out with Benny afterwards so I might not be home till later" I said, just to ruffle Kevin's feathers

*I smirked to myself as I heard Kevin start to shout something before I slammed the door behind me and walked away, sighing with relief once I was outside and far enough away from home. If George and I ended up being a more... permanent thing, I knew there would be no way to tell Kevin unless I had a plane ticket booked to go across the county at a moment's notice. The thought made me a little sick and hopeless before I pushed it aside and strode down the block with my head high. The walk to the Starbucks was nice even with the crowded sidewalks and honking traffic, but once I walked into the establishment I froze, realizing it was where I had worked before becoming a teacher. I thought about just hiding in the corner, but one sweep of the place told me that George wasn't there, which meant I'd look even stupider if I was alone with nothing in a corner. I sighed to myself before going up to the counter and praying I didn't know anyone on shift

Curse my luck because the young lady at the counter wasn't an old coworker of mine, oh no, it was one of my students. She was wearing the work uniform so it took me a moment to recognize her without her signature yellow aesthetic outfits but with her curly hair done up in a loose bun and tied back with a yellow scrunchies I was able to pin-point her identity nonetheless "Hi welcome to Starbucks how ca- MR ROSARIO!?" Peggy Schuyler asked and I wanted nothing more than to hide "Si- Hola Peggy" I said sheepishly while Peggy looked me up and down with her eyes wide "How did I not realize you were gay!?" She asked and my face turned red "Not so loud-" I muttered and Peggy covered her mouth "Oh my god I'm so sorry I didn't realize-" She said before unsuccessfully biting back a giggle

I sighed before composing myself as I told Peggy my order, though she didn't seem very surprised "I honestly shoulda seen this coming" Peggy said and giggled as she rang up the unicorn frappe-chino I'd ordered along with pumpkin bread (Hey I can treat myself sometimes) "But what're you doing at Starbucks on a Saturday?? Don't you have like, teacher things??" Peggy asked and I rolled my eyes "Don't you have a job to do??" I asked and Peggy laughed "Oh my god don't tell this to anyone but you're literally my favorite teacher" she said and winked which honestly made me feel better about my attempt at teacher. "I uh.. well- I'm actually here to meet someone" I answered meekly and Peggy gasped "YOU"RE ON-" she started to say before lowering her voice to a whisper "You're on a date?! With who!?" She asked before my date waltzed in through the doors, nervously checking his watch. 

Peggy's jaw dropped as she looked back at me, only to see my eyes were on George "You're on a date with Mr. Washington?! Is he gay too!?" Peggy asked and I found myself turning red again "Uh.. I- I don't think I can say that-" I said and Peggy giggled "Oh well, I'll figure it out" she said and I got major Dainela vibes from here. Dios mio I hope she wasn't a gossip freak- "Well anyways, 6.38, your stuff will be ready soon" Peggy said cheerfully and I payed quickly before retreating to a table towards the back, away from the counter and Peggy's prying eyes as George stepped up to order

After a few moments of me trying desperately to sink into the floor George looked around before spotting me and flashing me a smile as he made his way over to me "They called out your name but you didn't come up so I assumed you were in the bathroom, but I grabbed your things for you" he said as he set down 2 drinks, one for him I assumed and one for me as well as two separate food bags. Damn- while I was too embarrassed I must've zoned out- "Ah- I was yeah, Gracias" I said before taking my pumpkin bread out of my bag only to see George had gotten the same thing. I pointed it out and we laughed before quieting down to eat our food. It was definitely a bit awkward eating in silence but at the same time.. there was a sort of comfort to it, to being this close to George outside of school

"So.." I started once I saw that George had finished even when I was only about halfway through "Your brother is in the army??" I asked, remembering the text George had sent me the day before about the conflict. "Yeah, he's in Afghanistan right now, thankfully just there for advanced training and not on any front lines, but I still haven't heard from him in months" George said and I smiled softly "Well I'm glad you got to talk to him, I didn't mind the delay at all" I said and George chuckled sheepishly "Anyways tell me about yourself a bit, I know you're from Puerto Rico but besides that I don't know too much" George said and I smiled before taking a sip of my sugary drink

"Well there isn't too much to know" I said and George chuckled "Course there is, where'd you go to college?? You look pretty lean so did you play anything??" He asked and I nodded. "I went to college here since I couldn't afford out of state, I could barely afford in-state if I'm being honest" I said and chuckled "But yeah, I played football" I said only to get a flicker of confusion on George's eyes "Football?? But you'd get crushed" He said and now I was confused until I realized we'd run into another language barrier "Oh no no no I'm sorry, what do Americans call it... soccer??" I asked and George laughed "Ohh I get it, that makes so much more sense" He said and I chuckled before taking another sip

"What about you??" I asked and George took a sip of his own coffee before speaking "I went to school here too, and I was gonna play baseball but I got an injury and couldn't play" he said and I felt a pang of sadness for George "Oh no I'm so sorry that happened" I said and George waved it off "Eh it's fine, besides, as hard as teaching is I'm content with it" he said and offered me a smile which I copied "Oh.. well that's a good way to see things" I said and chuckled with George. "I know this sounds super cliched but what kinda hobbies do you like??" George asked and I immediately answered "Dancing. I've been dancing almost as long as I could walk" I said and giggled "It's a passion of mine, and I'm told I'm really good at it at the Club I go to" I said and George raised a brow "You go Clubbing??" He asked and I shrugged "Eh, I really only go to the same club, but you could call it clubbing I guess" I said and George chuckled

"Never really been to many clubs, but then again I'm not the best dancer" He said "Aww come on, everyone's got potential, except my friend who can't dance for shit" I said and laughed while thinking about Usnavi's horrendous dancing. While Benny had somewhat of a sense of rhythm Usnavi... well he had good rhythm in rapping. George chuckled before sipping his coffee again "Well it's nice to know that I won't be stuck as a novice for forever" he said and I reached across the table to playfully hit his arm "That's the spirit, you'll be a master in no time" I said and George laughing, causing me to do the same

We continued talking happily for about 2 hours, and as we felt things winding down I gave George the meager gift of the m&ms I'd bought yesterday. Though by the way his eyes lit up and the amount of times he thanked me I could tell he liked it. I laughed it off before we got up and threw away our trash with the promise to go out again another time soon after the success of our coffee date. After leaving the Starbucks we said our final goodbyes to each other before we went out separate ways, the same thought unknowingly in both of our minds

_ What if this had the potential to become something more...  _


	4. Handball, Painful Memories, and Park Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico tries to pass the time with his friend Benny in the park only to have a couple dark memories bubble up unintentionally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so- Dunno how many of you have read the ITH workshop, but there's a character in there that didn't make the final cut named Lincoln who originally meant to be Nina's older brother and the same age as Benny and Usnavi. And he's gay- So uhhhh- That was a total accident but I'm gonna add some things that are similar to things that happened to Lincoln in this chapter so uhhh Credit where Credit is due

I still had most of the day to waste seeing how I'd pissed off Kevin and I knew how long he could hold a grudge. After all my best friend Benny has been dating Nina for 4 years and he STILL doesn't approve of it. I decided a walk through Castle Garden seeing as how it was a lovely Saturday and as I made my way there I was confronted with a familiar face. All of a sudden my eyes were covered and I began to panic before I heard an easily recognizable voice "Guess who" it snickered and I instantly calmed down and laughed before removing the hands from my face "Hey Benny" I said before turning to my friend who flashed me back a smile. God after going on a date with George it was uncanny how similar they looked-

"How's it going man??" Benny asked while we briefly embraced, with Benny playfully slapping my back "All's good man, how's it with you??" I asked and Benny shrugged "Same old same old, but I've got a tennis ball and a bone to pick with you" He said and I raised an eyebrow before laughing "Handball sounds great right now, I was looking for something to do anyways" I said and Benny chuckled "Awesome, let's head over to the park then yeah??" He asked and I nodded before walking with him towards Castle Garden which had long been our hang out spot for years, all the way back to when we were kids and I was new to the barrio

Once we got to the park Benny and I went straight to the wall where we played with a bit of banter before Benny tossed the tennis ball to me to serve "Ladies first" he teased and I rolled my eyes before laughing and serving. Handball wasn't the most popular sport in the Barrio as it was dwarfed by how competitive Football had become, but I kinda preferred to just play with Benny anyways. There weren't as many strict rules and a lot of playfully banter, plus it was nice to just talk, we barely had any secrets from each other and we liked it like that. Especially since the last secret nearly ruined our friendship...

"Yo Nico!!" Benny called as the tennis ball bounced on the ground "That was your turn man?? What happened??" He asked and I shook my head to clear it "Sorry, just lost in thought" I said before picking up the ball to start another round "Oh?? About what??" Benny asked with a smirk and I rolled my eyes "About things" I teased and Benny pursed his lips, causing me to laugh "I'm kidding I'll tell ya" I said before serving "I went out for coffee this morning" I said and Benny froze with his jaw slack while staring at me "Shut. Up" He deadpanned and I laughed "I'm not lying" I said and Benny playfully punched my arm "There's no way!! Tell me about him!!" Benny said while we hit the ball back and forth

I faltered a little bit, almost missing the ball before I shrugged "He's a nice guy" I said without elaborating "Kind, good looks" I added. "Man I still can't believe my little Nick got himself a date" Benny said and snickered and I stuck my tongue at him playfully before going back to playing "And to think that a few years back we all still thought you were straight" Benny said and chuckled "We may have all been drunk off our asses but I remember". That was just what I was afraid of him thinking- I couldn't help but reminisce back on that night when I ended up coming out in front of nearly the whole Barrio...

_"Ok Nico" Benny_ _slurred, pulling a sober Nina closer to him "Your turn, dare or truth". I knew better than to take a dare while drunk, but I didn't know any better in the moment "Dare, hit me with your best shot" I said before laughing and downing another can. "Hmmm" Benny slurred before making a show of scratching his chin, causing some other drunks to laugh "Go have some fun mann, I dare ya to go to a strip club" he said and several people jostled about at the dare being commanded. "Done" I said without another thought and Benny laughed before throwing his empty can at our friend Vanessa who had currently seated herself on her new boyfriend Usnavi's lap. "Nessa go with him, make sure he's got the balls for it" Benny said and Vanessa rolled her eyes before getting up "Sounds fine with me" she said_

_"Hey whoa wait why you gotta take my date?!" Usnavi protested and Vanessa made a show of kissing his tipsy lips before coming back over to me "Cause I'm not completely wasted like the rest of you" she called before grabbing my hand and leading me away from the group. "Vanessa wait-" I said as we turned a corner and Vanessa hufed before crossing her arms "You're not giving up already??" She asked and I shook my head. Had I been sober I never would've said what I was about to, btu I had little to no common sense and Benny's words stuck with me... Go have some fun... "I wanna go to a male club" I said and Vanessa's eyes widened "You serious??" she asked and I laughed "Completely"_

_"Oh.. well.. huh- alright I guess, let's go, might as well have my own fun since I'm being forced to go with you" Vanessa said as she went back to dragging me down the dark sidewalks. "I had a feeling you were a queer, we're just drawn to each other I guess" Vanessa said but I took no notice of it at the time before realizing later that Vanessa had just came out to me as Bisexual which I had a feeling of anyways. Trust the Gaydar. We arrived at a place that looked pretty low key except for the neon sign simply labeled "Paradise" as well as the low beat that I could feel coming from within. "Guess this'll do, see ya on the other side" Vanessa said before we were inside_

_We were promptly separated and for a moment I felt like I almost passed out from the sudden loud music and crowded room before I felt strong arms around me "You ok there pretty boy??" A deep male voice asked before I looked up to see a man looking down at me "Fine.. just here for fun.." I slurred and the man chuckled before carrying me away from the people and out into what I assumed was the back alley "This better for you??" He asked as I leaned against the wall "But the dare... I gotta be in there-" I said and started to head back before the man grabbed my arm in a strong hole without hurting me "Well you're in luck pretty boy, I was just about to go home for the night, but I guess I got one more in me, free of charge" he purred before he had me pinned against the wall_

_My memory of what really happened was hazy at best, but I distinctly remember looking down at the man on his knees and his hands reaching into my pants- so I just assumed I'd been sucked off on that back alley. Once we were done the man bid me farewell and I stumbled back out towards the front where I saw Vanessa waiting with disheveled clothes "Those guys were dicks, there's a reason I don't go to places like that" she said as she straightened her clothes "But you look like you had fun so I guess you passed the dare" she added before dragging me back to the Barrio_

_When we arrived in our disheveled state many heads were turned and mouths dropped. My lips felt a bit swollen, probably from kissing and from the looks of it Vanessa's were in the same shape, plus when I looked closer Vanessa had a couple bruises on her neck. "What happened to you two??" Nina asked and I couldn't help myself from answering drunkenly "We had fun just like you said" I slurred and suddenly the Barrio grew quiet as all chatter stopped. "Yo you fucked my girl?!" Usnavi asked, suddenly on his feet and I realized my crucial error. "I- no not together-" I stammered before Usnavi grabbed my collar, something I'd never seen him do to anyone which meant I was in deep shit. "That's not what you said a moment ago" He growled and I managed to push myself away_

_"Nah man it's not like that" I tried to reason but Usnavi didn't look too swayed "Navi he's right we wouldn't-" Vanessa started to say before someone piped up for her to stay out of it. I assumed people though a fight was about to brew which was the opposite of what I wanted to I just let the truth spill from my drunken mouth "Look man I'm gay, I wouldn't fuck with any chica". Now everything was silent again, but this time it felt like the weight of the world was pressing on me. Usnavi backed away a bit before speaking "You're gay??" He asked and only then did the shock of what I'd said finally hit me_

_"Wait no- I-" I stammered but nothing I could drunkenly say would fix anything. I looked around to see if I could find any friendly faces but everywhere I looked was either horror, disgust, or surprise, with Benny's face being the worst of them all. He looked so hurt and betrayed either by the fact that I never told him before or just from the news itself. So instead of facing it all down I decided to make matters worse instead I ran away as best as I could in the state I was in_

I was thrust from my memory when the tennis ball hit me straight in the face and Benny rushed over to me "You good man?? You just blankly stared at the wall and took it to the face. In any other case i would be dying from laughter but it looked like it hurt" he said as I rubbed my nose before waving it away "I'm fine.. I think I'm just gonna go for a walk" I said and Benny sighed "Alright, but don't keep me worried like this ok??" he asked and I nodded "Gotcha" I said and we shook on it before Benny scooped up the ball "I promised Nina I'd call her anyways so I gotta head back, I'll see ya around though k??" He asked and I nodded again "See ya around Benny" I called before my friend turned on his heels and hightailed it back to the apartamentos. I sighed before turning the opposite direction and strolling further into the park as my mind raced with the rest of the events from that night

_I ran until I collapsed in some alley somewhere in the Barrio and threw up until I was dry heaving. There was vomit in my hair and my stomach felt like it was being shredded plus I had a massive migraine coming through. I forced myself to get up before stumbling my way down the street, looking for my apartmento. I eventually found it and scaled the fire escape to avoid waking Kevin and Camilla, even though I probably shouldn't have been climbing. I tore off my clothes and flopped on the bed in just my boxers, about to pass out before the door opened and I heard Nina call my name "Nico??" She called and I groaned before turning over "What" I asked, my voice oddly icy_

_Nina shut the door behind her before hugging herself "I knew you were gay.. just saying-" She mumbled and I could feel my eye twitch "So that was all?? I thought you'd be too busy getting your pussy wrecked by your man toy" I spat and Nina's eyes narrowed. "Leave Benny out of this, you're just jealous" She said and I stood up, nearly falling over in the process "Jealous?! Try being hopelessly in love with your best friend KNOWING you could never have him until your perfect little cousin comes along and adds insult to injury and takes him!!" I shouted and Nina appeared genuinely hurt before clenching her fists. "Stay away from him or I'll tell him" she said and I laughed despite the tense situation_

_"Or what?? You're gonna go cry to daddy about it?? Oh wait my bad, go crying to Kevin" I growled and Nina appeared to have enough. She left with teary eyes, leaving me alone and stuck with too many emotions. Nina kept her word though, and she told Benny what I'd told her that night in my room, and apparently the shock of it was so bad that he refused to talk to me for about a month. Actively avoided me at worst too, which was the worst thing about it. In the end though, I came to be accepted after a LOT of convincing and a couple other outings, though no one's told Kevin and Camilla. It was still a little rough, but it was the best I could get_

I ended up alone on a park bench hidden in the shade surrounded by a small flock of pigeons. I sighed shakily before resting my arms on my knees and my chin in my hands as a pigeon hopped it's way by my foot "Hola Abuela" I said to the little bird. I knew Abuela Claudia wouldn't come back as a pigeon if she came back at all, but she'd been so close to these animals, that I knew they'd be able to tell her in some way "I finally found myself a date... I think you'd like him.." I said as I felt myself tearing up. Abuela was the only one to know I was gay before the drunken accident, and she'd been the first to accept me when I told her about my crush on Benny in high school. But now she'd been gone for almost 4 years... and she wasn't there when I needed her

"I still miss you... everyone still does, Usnavi especially... but we're all managing. I got a job and like I said I went on a date with this guy... but anyways I just hope you can somehow hear me.." I said quietly before the pigeons cooed loudly and flew away, likely having been started by something, or rather someone "I don't think talking to NYC birds is a good sign of anything" George said and I looked up with a small gasp before wiping my eyes "I-I'm sorry... just an old habit.." I muttered before George sat down next to me on the bench "I don't think talking to NYC birds is a good habit" he said and laughed while I gave a half-heated chuckle

George softened up before scooting a little bit closer to me "But seriously Nick.. what's wrong??" He asked in a comforting tone and I sighed shakily before looking down at the ground "Just bad memories.." I said before looking up at George "I see... ok with talking about it??" He asked and I nodded a bit "Sure I guess... just came out in a bad way and I couldn't help but think about it" I said and George nodded in understanding "I get it, trust me" He said and I noticed that we were suddenly closer than we had been to start out "Came out with a homophobic brother at a family dinner" he said while I listened. "It was pretty rough.. but my family accepted me, and my brother's learned to stop being homophobic" he said and offered me a smile

I copied his soft smile before seriously repressing the urge to lean on George's shoulder. It felt like such a natural movement but I didn't want to see too forward after having only been on one date just that morning. "I don't mean to seem too.. forwards but can I hold your hand??" George asked and my cheeks flushed a bit red. "S-sure-" I stammered and looked at George who's cheeks were also a bit red. After a moment of awkward silence George reached over for my hand and laced his fingers with mine and I couldn't help but relax to his touch. George rubbed his thumb on mine and I decided to go for it an leaned my head on George's shoulder

Thankfully he didn't tense up or just outright leave which was a good sign and I tried to steady my beating heart before looking up at George only to find he was looking down at me. His cheeks were still a bit red and by the burning in mine I knew mine were too. George closed his eyes for a moment and leaned his forehead on mine. My breathing quickened a bit to match my racing heart before I closed my eyes for a moment, only to feel something soft and wet on my lips. My eyes fluttered open only to discover that George had his lips pressed to mine in a soft kiss and it took all of my willpower not to scream in happiness.

My bliss was short lived though as George stood up quickly, leaving me alone on the bench. "I-I'm sorry about that-" George stammered red faced and I touched my lips subconsciously for a moment before shaking my head "No no, it's alright" I said while looking up at George "I uh... I enjoyed it-" I said meekly as my face grew hotter and hotter. George smiled slightly before checking the time "Fuck- Ah I gotta go again but I'll uh- I'll see you you on Monday??" he asked and I nodded "See you on Monday" I repeated and smiled softly before watching George rush off

I touched my lips before breaking out into a large grin. Even though it had only lasted for maybe a second, it was still amazing, better than anything I'd ever experienced in a romantic sense (well- that was the only sort of romance I'd ever experienced so- the bar is pretty low). I sighed happily before leaning back and looking up at the Nueva York sky

I couldn't wait for Monday now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't feel like editing cause whoopsie I was tired so sorry if grammar/spelling is off


	5. Mini One Shot Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm planning on doing so *ahem* smooty things so take the story of Nico finding out he's gay for some fluff before I attempt to write smut next chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok I lied there's a bit of sadness/almost angst plus the mention of the fa word soooooooooooooooo have fun

"God Mr. Garcia is the worst" I groaned before tying back my hair from my sweaty head as Usnavi snickered "He needs his morning coffee just as much as the next person" he said and I rolled my eyes "Yeah but making me run a mile first thing in the morning for being late cause mi Prima pequeña threw up everywhere isn't fair!!" I protested and Usnavi shrugged "He's to coach man, at least you get to play" he said "We're both shrimpy guys yet somehow you're always in" he said and this time it was my turn to snicker "That's cause I can actually play well" I said and Usnavi hit my shoulder "Hey shut up!! I'm totally good!!" Usnavi said and I laughed "Yeah. You play as good as you dance" I said and Usnavi hit my arm again while I continued laughing

"Hey once your football skills get as good as your rapping skills, THEN you can talk to me" I said and Usnavi rolled his eyes "Oh whatever-" he mumbled and I snickered "Will do, but anyways I gotta run back real quick before school starts, I promised Abuela I'd check on Sonny real quick while she goes to the salon. Guess your cousin isn't the only one getting sick" he said and I chuckled "Alright man, catch ya in the halls" I said and and Usnavi tipped his hat to me before rushing off in the direction of home without going to change first which I thought was disgusting but hey, it's not smart to leave a 7 year old like Sonny at home alone if he was sick

I watched Usnavi leaving before heading back inside the "locker room" which was basically just a glorified bathroom/closet. Once inside I headed straight to the sink to wash my face off before the sound of running water and a soft melody stopped me in my tracks. I refrained from turning on the sink even though I felt disgusting from the intense practice and extra mile my shitty coach had made me run, but I wanted to hear who the hell was singing in the school showers. I crept over to the lockers to get closer to the showers as the melody slowly grew clearer and I was able to recognize who was singing so beautifully

It was my friend Benny, and he was singing a love song that I didn't recognize. I knew Benny had a good voice, but until then I'd only ever heard him rapping, nothing like whatever he was singing now. I found myself creeping closer to hear more as an odd feeling swept over me. I felt like something was flying around in the pit of my stomach, but not like in a nauseous way as I didn't feel sick. In fact I felt... happy... I sat down against the lockers and closed my eyes as I let Benny's melody wash over me. I could tell his voice was a bit tired as it cracked every now and then, but I didn't care, I was just so happy I didn't get it

Eventually Benny's unfamiliar song ended and I couldn't help but feel depressed with it's conclusion. A moment later I heard the water turn off and my eyes widened as I realized Benny was getting out of the shower, and I prayed he didn't find me spying on him like a weirdo. I decided to try and play it cool like I'd just come in from practice but as I stood up I came face to face with Benny who was dripping wet and barely covering himself with a towel. We both jumped once we say each other and soon the odd feeling in my stomach came back, this time accompanied with my face suddenly burning. I thought I'd gotten whatever was making Nina sick before Benny brought me back to reality "Sorry I didn't realize anyone was in here" Benny said awkwardly as he fixed the towel to be more secure around his waist and not as low as it had been originally

"O-Oh no I just came in here from practice, stupid coach made me run extra laps for being late cause I had to help Nina who was throwing up" I said before clearing my throat and trying to act casual despite the fact that my face was still burning and my heart was racing, maybe I was about to have a heart attack. "Oh ok, man this is awkward- no one uses the school showers but the plumping in my building was shot and I didn't feel like having to deal with my ma complaining about it" Benny said and sighed and I quickly waved it away "I-I" won't tell anyone don't worry" I said quickly and tried to flash a smile as my eyes couldn't help but explore Benny's exposed body as my cheeks heated up more. What was wrong with me-

Benny could tell something was off so he raised an eyebrow before asking if I was ok which I blamed on a "lack of sleep" due to my studies. "Ah ok... and you promise no one will hear about this?? I don't wanna be that kid... I mean I'm already kinda the weird kid" Benny said and I nodded quickly "Secret is safe with me, and they don't know shit about you. You're not weird" I said and Benny managed a slight smile which made my heart beat even faster "Thanks man, and tell Nina I hope she feels better" Benny said before disappearing to go dry off and change "No problemo man!!" I called before changing and getting the hell out of there. I sat down in the hall and tried to stop feeling so... off... as my thoughts raced. Why was this happening?? What was that strange feeling.... and why couldn't I get the image of my best friend shirtless and dripped wet out of my head- 

This was normal... right?? Oh my god- did I- no... did I have a crush on my best friend..?? I mean it made sense for me to have one... Benny and I were always close for as long as I can remember and was one of the first friends I'd ever made when I came to America and the Barrio, despite the language barrier between us to begin with. And he'd always been so nice to me... and... god who was as I kidding, I was totally crushing on my best friend... but we were both guys, how was it possible for me to like him, that's not normal right?! Oh no... was I... was I a... faggot...? I abandoned the hallway as my eyes brimmed with tears of confusion which I furiously wiped away. Why was this happening to me...

I was off for the rest of the day, lost in my thoughts and confused about my feelings. I couldn't be a fag... not me... it just wasn't possible!! But at the same time... it made sense... I wasn't like any of the other guys who'd been crushing on girl since as early as elementary school. It just hadn't felt right... but if I was a fag... it would make total sense... I declined and invitation to head to the park after school and instead went straight to the first person I could think of that could help me to understand what was going on. I decided to go see Abuela Claudia

She wasn't anyone's actual Abuela, but she was one of the oldest people in the Barrio and she was just motherly in all aspects. Everyone looked up to her, and she was there for everyone, which would make her the perfect person to go to. I knocked on the door before pushing it open after hearing Abuela's call to come inside. I entered the apartamento and looked around before smelling something in the kitchen, which told me that that was where Abuela was. I found her at the stove with a large pot on before I called out an "Hola" to her and she turned with a bright smile

"Nickolas es tan bueno verte!! Please sit down, I have got some soup on the stove for Sonny, but there is plenty for you if you want some" Abuela said and I smiled "Gracias Abuela" I said before taking Abuela's word and sitting down at the table. "Nina's sick too, must be something going around" I said and Abuela sighed "Ay dios mío... it is a nasty little thing.. poor Sonny has been throwing up all morning and running a high fever all afternoon" she said and I nodded "Same thing as Nina" I said as Abuela got down 2 bowls which she generously filled with soup. She took one bowl to me and set it down before patting my head and dropping a spoon "Ya vuelvo Nickolas, I just have to give this to Sonny" Abuela said and I nodded before picking up my spoon "Ok, Gracias" I said before blowing on my soups as Abuela smiled and went to deliver the soup to a sick Sonny  
  


A moment later Abuela returned and my soup was cool enough to eat. Abuela eased herself down into a chair and sighed before smiling at me "How has school been, I heard you are on the team, a Freshman on the team is quite rare from what I hear" she said and I beamed "Si Abuela, Usnavi is on it to, though he's really just a glorified water boy" I said and snickered "Ah Usnavi... he has a good heart and a good head... but not exactly the best body" she said and it took all I had to not start choking on my soup. "Si" I wheezed out before clearing my throat and setting down my spoon for a moment "But.. that's not really why I'm here... though I love talking with you" I said and Abuela's smile faded "Is everything alright??" She asked and I sighed

"I don't know..." I said and rubbed my head "See... I-I think I have a crush..." I said and Abuela chuckled "Ah young love... do tell, I promise I will not spill the next time I go to the salon" she said and chuckled but I didn't laugh. "I-I think it' Benny-" I said barely above a whisper which made Abuela quiet down "qué dijiste.." Abuela asked and I felt the tears returning "I-I know it's not normal.. a-and I didn't even realize it until today!! I-I just... I-I don't know.." I said as tears slipped from my eyes. Abuela got up and came over to me before pulling me into a tight hug which I immediately returned "I-I don't want to be a fag..." I stuttered as Abuela calmly stoked my hair "Shh... Nickolas..está bien" she said calmly but I only cried more "N-No it's not!! I-I'm a faggot and I'm crushing on my own best friend!!" I cried but Abuela just kept stroking my hair

"First of all, I do not like that term, there is no use in degrading your own people. There is too much in the world but that is a topic for another day" Abuela said and sighed and I looked up at her with a soft sniffle. "Secondly Nickolas... there is nothing wrong with being homosexual... it is just a part of who you are" she said softly before gently wiping away the tear tracks on my cheeks. "I-it's... ok??" I asked and Abuela nodded "Por supuesto Nickolas..." she said and I looked down before nuzzling more into Abuela's comforting embrace "B-but everyone keeps saying it's not n-normal... and I-I a freak??" I asked while looking back at Abuela

"Absolutamente no Nickolas... and if you wish to identify as homosexual... then you will have to face people who will think that... but just know, their words can never change who you are" Abuela said softly and I sniffled again before wiping my eyes again "Y-you really think you're right??" I asked and Abuela chuckled "Oh Nickolas... No puedes ser tan viejo como yo y no estar seguro de lo que dices" she said and I laughed shakily "Muchos gracias Abuela... I don't know what I would do without you.." I said as Abuela smiled softly "Por supuesto Nickolas, I will always be here for you. And if anyone says anything bad about you for being who you are, then just send them my way and I will gladly deal with them" she said and I giggled before sighing and pulling away from Abuela "I don't know what anyone would do without you" I said and Abuela smiled before patting my head "You all would do just fine without me... I am just glad to be helpful" she said and I hugged her once more

I learned Abuela was right, though when the time came she wasn't there like she promised she would be. But in the end, I was able to get through it, just like she suspected. I had her to thank for giving me the confidence to be who I was, and without her kind words way back then... who knows what I would've become


	6. First time for Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George invites Nico to stay at his apartment for the weekend, and the two take their relationship to the next level (Title by Layaisdaboss)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, this is my first time ever writing stuff like this by myself sooooo... prepare for possible incoming cringe

Things between George and I were going great, and neither of us could've been happier. We'd gone on a few more dates, ranging from walks in the park, to movies, to going to Time Square. I'd never been, but I had always heard about it, and it was exactly what I had dreamed Nueva York was like when I first moved here. It was an incredible time, and I could tell George enjoyed it just as much as I had. At school though, we made sure to keep our relationship a secret. I already knew about how quickly a rumor could spread and cause trouble thanks to Dani and Carla back in the Barrio, but we also wanted to preserve our own safety. Sure there were laws protecting our jobs, but violence against people like us was still a threat, even in Nueva York, so we stuck to only seeing each other outside of school, and after once most of the staff and students had left

It was a Thursday night and I was up in my room working on grading (which after having only been at work for a few weeks, was already a bore) when I got the call from George. We often called each other and face timed, just so we could see and hear each other's voices, plus it was easier for us when we were working instead of stopping to type a text message. I happily picked up and set the phone up on speaker so I wouldn't have to hold it "Hola Georgie" I said happily and I heard George chuckle on the other side of the line "Hey Nicki, you working right now??" He asked and I hummed in agreement "Yep, almost done though, you working too??" I asked and George replied in the same way I had "Just got one more class to do, but I was wondering if I could ask you something" he said and I nodded before answering as I knew George couldn't see me

"Of course, you can always ask me something, you don't have to ask to ask me a question" I said and giggled as George laughed, a sound that still after weeks of dating made my heart flutter "I know I know, I just wanted to make sure. But anyways, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to spend the weekend at my place?? I figured since we've been together for about a month now it wouldn't do any harm" George said and I was glad we weren't face timing so he couldn't see my cheeks which I could tell had flushed pink "Oh.. yeah I'd love to" I said and I could tell George smiled on the other end has his voice grew lighter, and more cheerful "Great, we can call i subs for after first period. I can take you to my place and we can just hang out for the weekend" he said and i nodded along "Sounds Perfect, I can't wait" I said, now smiling as well. I felt like a teenager again, making plans to sneak out of the house to go stay with my boyfriend, if only I had done that in high school-

"Wonderful, I should probably get back to work, but I'll see you tomorrow ok Nicki??" George asked and I chuckled "Of course, Buenas Noches Georgie" I said and George sighed contently "Your Spanish is so cute" he teased and I blushed even more "Oh shut up" I said and George laughed "Ok ok... Goodnight Nicki" he said and with that e=he hung up. The rest of the night I had trouble focusing on work as I thought over what the weekend would look like. I had no clue what to do, so I decided the best thing to do was just wing it and not tell Kevin and Camilla. There was no way in Hell I was gonna sit through having to explain this all to them. I'd rather just deal with it when I got back instead of ruining my mentality before going. I called up a substitute teacher that was listed in the Teacher Resources on the school's website and decided to call it a night, my mind still racing even as I drifted off

The next morning was a blur, and I wasn't really paying attention as I went to work and got through my first class, my mind was still focusing on what laid ahead for me. I barely even realized first period ended, and it was only when George came into my classroom with his stuff that it finally sunk in that this was actually happening. I didn't know why I was so nervous, but I was. I stood up and gathered my things as George snuck a quick kiss onto my cheek, causing me to blush a bit "You're so adorable" George cooed and I blushed even more "Shut up-" I squeaked and George laughed before taking my hand in his "Come on, if we wanna get out without being spotted by any students now's the best chance while they're at the assembly" he said as he lead me out of my classroom

"Was the assembly important??" I asked and George waved it away "Nah, just some stupid thing. Boring an chaotic, that's why I proposed to leave now" he said and I chuckled before walking out of the school with George and going over to his car, which was small, but definitely nice. Kevin used to own a taxi service, but he sold it to help my cousin with her college funds, so I was used to beat up and probably risky cars, but George's car was unlike any of that "Whoa, how did a teacher's salary buy this??" I asked as George opened the door for me "Eh, this was a hand-me-down gift before I came here" he said nonchalantly but it just left me with another question that I kept to myself. How the fuck was this a hand-me-down?!

"Ah ok" I said, brushing off my question before getting into George's car. I closed the door after me and George went to the driver's side once he saw I was in. We put on our seat belts, and George started up the engine. A moment later we were pulling out of the parking lot and riving down the busy streets of Nueva York. The ride wan't too long from what I estimated it to be, and soon we were pulling into an apartment complex only a couple blocks away from the Barrio. George was right, he did live really close. "We're here" George called as he parked the car and got out with his stuff. I followed suit and shut the door as George locked the car and lead me into the building. A couple flights of stairs later and soon we were standing int he doorway of George's apartment. "It's not much, but it's something" George called as he went in

It definitely looked nicer than most apartments I'd seen back in the Barrio, but it did feel smaller, though not in a cramped sort of way like home, more in a cozy sort. I followed George in and looked around as he explained to me where things were "Down the hall on the left is the master bedroom, on the right is the guest room and bath. Master room is connected to the master bath and that's about it. Here's the living room, and there's the kitchen" George said and pointed "The dining room is really just empty space with a table and chairs but it's fine" "It looks really nice though" I said "Where should I put my stuff??" I asked and George gestured vaguely to the hall "Guest room is fine I suppose" he said and I nodded before going to put my things up. When I came back out George was just tidying up the living room as I eyed a door that hadn't been explained. "What's that for??" I asked and George looked

For a moment George was silent before brushing it off "Just a storage room, don't go in there" He said and that was that. I decided to let it slide, though I was hoping to get a better answer sometime later. George and I sat on the couch together and happily chatted before turning on the tv. I found myself curled up against George's side with an arm wrapped casually around me. After a few minutes I could feel his hand slowly dancing across my body and I shivered softly at his touch, causing George to look down at me "Everything alright Nicki??" he asked and I nodded, though I could tell that my cheeks were pink "Y-yeah.. just keep doing that.." I said and George chuckled as he went back to running his hand over me

I know it wasn't a lot, but at the time, I'd never been touched like that, like I said I was still a virgin. I felt myself blush more as George's hand crossed over my chest and down towards my abdomen and I gasped softly. George stopped again and looked back at me with a light smirk on his lips "Do you like that??" He asked as his hand slid lower and my face grew hotter so I covered my face "W-wait.." I gasped as I felt George's hand dangerously close to my crotch. George immediately stopped and pulled his hand away "I didn't go too far did I??" he asked and I shook my head quickly "N-no no it's fine.. I-I just.." I said and sighed before turning even redder "I-I'm sill a virgin-" I muttered, waiting for George's reaction

A moment later I felt my hands gently pried from my face and I saw George looking at me "You're a virgin??" He asked and I nodded, more embarrassed than I'd been in years. George chuckled a bit before softly kissing my hands "We can always change that of course" He said, more in a purr than in just his normal voice and it made me shudder "I won't force you though" George said as he gently cupped my face with his hand "It's your choice" he added and I sighed shakily. I'd always dreamed of finally being able to do this with someone, and George seemed like the perfect candidate. We had something special for each other, and he was always caring and sweet to me, if i was going to lose myself to anyone, it would be George

"Alright.. j-just please... please be careful" I said as I gently rested my hands on George's chest. "Of course Nicki, don't worry" George said softly before leaning down and capturing my lips in a soft but passionate kiss. I happily reciprocated it, and before I knew it George and I had shifted so that I was resting in his lap. My cheeks were still red hot, but at the same time I felt safe, even though my heart was racing, and I closed my eyes as I found myself straddling George's lap. I felt George's hands rest on my waist and I fought the urge to flinch at the sudden feeling and instead focused on my lips on George's

We eventually pulled away from each other to catch our breath, though we were still within a couple inches of each other's. George's eyes shone with what I could only assume was lust before our lips were back on each other, this time caught in a much heated kiss. My hands slid up George's chest before I wrapped my arms around his neck casually as George ran his hands up and down my hips. I gasped softly, which ended up breaking the kiss and George looked at me with a soft chuckle "You really are a virgin to all of this huh??" He teased and I felt myself blushing hard again "Sh-shut up-" I muttered and George just chuckled before getting up, with me in his arms

I covered my face from embarrassment as George carried me to the Master bedroom, carefully laying me down on the bed once we'd gotten there. Judging by how tight my pants felt, I was pretty sure I'd gotten a boner which just made me more embarrassed. I peaked through my hands to see George stripping off his shirt and discarding it onto the floor, leaving him shirtless. The room was a little dark, but I could still see him clearly, everything from the small tattoos on his forearms to the soft remains of a 6-pack. George was a pretty tall guy, broad too, so when he bent down over me it felt like he was towering me. "It's alright baby, there's no need to be embarrassed" George cooed in that same sultry tone and I took a shaky breath before lowering my hands, causing George to smile "See... look at how handsome you are" he cooed as he gently caressed my cheek, which only made them hotter. I would've snapped back, but all that came out was a squeak and George laughed

"You're too cute" George said as he softly kissed my lips before gently pulling me to sit up "Your turn, I took off my shirt" he said and gestured to my upper body. I looked down at myself, taking note of the obvious bulge in my pants before biting my lip and pulling my shirt over my head. George watched me intently as I dropped the shirt onto the floor and wrapped arms around myself nervously. I didn't have any body issues now that I was fully grown, and the worst it ever got was in middle school when I was a lot scrawnier than the other kids, so I wasn't worried about anything like that, I was just nervous for George to see me. George carefully took my arms and moved them away from my chest as he gently kissed where I'd been covering myself "You were already beautiful... but now you're even more so" George purred and it took all of my willpower not to squeak again

George laid me down again and took his time, trailing kisses over my exposed body as I kept biting my lip, gasping softly every so often as George brushed his lips over my neck and collarbone. George looked up at me with a devilish smirk as he bent down and panted more kisses on my neck, and I couldn't help but let out what I could've only assumed was a moan as George kissed a specific part right under my jaw and at the top of my neck. George paused and looked up at me as I covered my face again "S-sorry" I squeaked out and George chuckled "It's alright to moan baby, that means you like it, and I'm doing something right, did it feel good??" He asked and I nodded slightly. As embarrassed as I felt, George's kisses felt like thy were lighting my body on fire, and it felt amazing. "I'm gonna leave a hickey here, it may hurt a bit but it feels good, are you ok with that??" George asked and I nodded again. Why not try something since I was already here

George bent down again to the spot where he'd last kissed and what had made me moan and gently bit down before sucking at the skin. The feeling nearly made my eyes roll into the back of my head and i couldn't stop myself from letting out another moan. Once George was done he sat back up and smiled proudly at his handy work before brushing his fingers over the spot, which I could already tell was starting to bruise up a bit. "I-Is it supposed to bruise??" I asked and George laughed "Yeah, but it'll go away after a day or so" he said as I mindlessly brushed the hickey like George had done

"S-so what now??" I asked as I watched George's eyes travel down my body, eventually resting on my crotch as a light smirk grew on his lips "Can you take your pants off??" He asked and I blushed before nodding slightly "S-sure.." I mumbled as I undid my belt and tossed it to the side. George lifted up my hips to help me slide my pants off before tugging them clean off my body along with my boxers, leaving myself completely exposed with my dick already at attention. George dropped my clothes with the rest of them before looking at my dick which made me look away. "It's alright Nicki... just relax" George purred as he gently grasped my dick, making me gasp softly at the sudden feeling. Another confession, I've only masturbated once or twice. There was no way in hell I was gonna think about my best friend while doing it, plus I'd be dooming myself if I ever got caught with a playboy magazine of men

George gently stroked my member and my legs tensed up a bit as I let out a soft moan "So touch sensitive... it's adorable" George cooed and my face turned red again. I closed my eyes to try and stay calm like George said, before I felt something soft and wet on my tip that made me shiver. I forced my eyes open and found that George had his lips on my tip before he looked up at me "May I??" He asked and I finally realized what he planned to do, so I nodded slightly and looked away again, leaving George to do whatever he pleased with my dick. A moment later I felt his lips wrap around my tip and I bit my lip harshly as his tongue swirled around, coating it in his saliva. I covered my mouth and moaned into my hand as George slowly sank down deeper

It was obvious George knew what he was doing, but I didn't care as my mind was already starting to go blank from the pleasure. My eyes fluttered shut and my hand fell from my mouth as I melted from George's mouth, moaning no matter how embarrassed I still was. George sank down until he had my full length in his mouth before bobbing his head and sucking, which made me go crazy even from just that simple act. Being this intimate with George made everything seem much more pleasurable, and after a few minutes in heaven my legs tensed up and my breathing quickened as I felt like something had tightened in the pit of my stomach. I could barely tell that it was my climax coming, but George apparently knew exactly what it was, so he sat up and took my dick back into his hand, jerking it off until I came with a breathy moan

I slowly opened my eyes as my breathing returned to normal to find George smirking lightly and licking his fingers, which had a little bit of my cum on it. I shuddered and sat up a bit, thinking we were done before George gently pushed me back down again "We're not done unless you're ready to stop" He said and my cheeks flushed a bit pink "O-ok.." I said breathlessly "What now??" "Well if you'd like... I want to be the the one to take your virginity, just like I said on the couch" George said and my face turned redder. How he was able to say that like it was nothing still has never occurred to me, but nonetheless I nodded, trying to still my racing heart

George reached into the bedside table for something as he gently spoke to me "It's probably going to hurt... and there's nothing I can really do about it, you'll just have to stick through it, though if at any point you want to stop please tell me. I don't want to hurt you too badly" he said as he gently caressed my cheek, a bottle of what looked like lotion in his hand. I nuzzled into George's hand and nodded as he kissed my lips softly and undid the cap. "Spread your legs" he purred against my lips which made me shudder as I did as I was told, my dick already twitching again "Good boy.." George praised and I blushed even more as I looked away

George uncapped the bottle and squirted some onto his fingers, which made me realize it was lube before trailing his other hand down my body and in between my legs. I shivered as George put his lubricated fingers on my entrance and gently massaged the muscles there, causing me to groan softly from the feeling. "Just relax..." George cooed as he rubbed my thigh, before gently pushing a digit into me. I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt, but there was a sort of pleasure to it that made me want to stick it out. I whimpered softly and George kept rubbing my leg as he slowly worked his finger

Once the initial pain went away I was able to relax more, which told George to add in another finger. I whimpered again and squeezed my eyes shut as George leaned down and placed soft kisses on my body "It's alright... you're doing great baby" George cooed and I took a shaky breath to try and relax again. George worked his fingers in and out of me before scissoring them, leaving me still whimpering underneath him. Eventually the pain ebbed away into pleasure and I stopped whimpering, instead moaning softly before George pulled his fingers out, causing my legs to instinctively close up "You're ready" George said as he wiped his fingers off on the sheets before kissing my lips softly "Hang tight, and just relax" he added before getting up and going back to the bedside table

I couldn't help but blush again, and my heart rate picked up again as George grabbed a condom from the drawer. I couldn't exactly read the label, but it looked big. George parted my legs again and told me to stay while he slid off his pants. The only thought I could clearly remember before George slid into me was _'how the hell was that gonna fit in me?!'_ I blushed madly and tried not to stare at George's cock as he slid the condom on and positions himself over me "You've been doing so good baby.." George cooed before kissing my lips softly "I'll take it easy, I promise.." he added and then my mind went blank

If the finger had been painful, then I had no way of describing the feeling of George's cock sliding into me. Stars danced in front of my eyes and it felt like I was getting split apart. I couldn't help but cry out and squeeze my eyes shut as I wrapped my arms around George's neck. George on the other hand seemed to be enjoying himself, but he kept his word and was very patient with me, always asking and waiting for my confirmation before changing anything. Once I got over the initial shock of it all and the pain wasn't unbearable, George slowly started to thrust his hips, moaning softly which was enough to make me stick through the pain, if only to hear that glorious sound

I could tell George was talking to me, probably praising me (so I hoped) but my mind was too scrambled to form complete sentences, in English or Spanish. All I could do was whimper and moan until I was brought to my climax. I clung tightly onto George, wrapping my legs around his waist and burying my face in his neck as I felt my orgasm wash over me. George had been thrusting into me at a steady pace, but as I came he began to loose his rhythm and not too long later he came in me. He helped us both down from our climaxes before we collapsed in a tangle of limbs, both panting heavily and sexed out

George rolled over onto his side and drew me into my arms, which I greatly appreciated as my breathing slowly evened out and I was able to speak again "B-be honest..." I panted "W-was that your first time..??" I asked and George shook his head "No.. but it has been a decent amount of time.." he admitted and I nodded slightly with a small yawn. George's hand slid to rub my back as the other brushed my hair out of my face "Rest up.. you did amazing" George cooed softly as he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. I smiled softly as my eyelids grew heavy and a moment later I was passed out

I woke up periodically during the rest of the day, with the first time with me being picked up by George and carried into the bathroom where he'd prepared a warm bath that smelled wonderfully like lavender. George eased into the warm water with me and leaned back, with me in front of him. I was still a bit groggy, and the warm water lolled me back to sleep, but I distinctly remembered George gently cleaning me off, humming softly as he did. I smiled softly before nuzzling into his chest and drifting off again into a peaceful sleep

I could DEFINITELY get used to this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if this chapt seemed to drop off towards the end, I just kinda lost interest writing it plus I had other things to do


	7. The Day after and more New Experiences (ft whatever spaghetti is)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico spends the day at George's apartment where they get to know each other better on a mental and emotional level (cause lord knows they know enough about each other physically)

I woke up at my normal time the next day thanks to work resetting my internal clock. I sat up and rubbed my face before finding my hair was still tied back from my bath with George- oh right- we'd fucked yesterday. Now I knew why my ass was sore. I groaned softly before flopping back down on the bed and sighing as I stared up at the ceiling, listening to George's soft snoring. I can't believe we actually did... that- last night. And here I was, naked in his bed- George began to stir and groaned softly before shifting in bed, turning to face me before reaching out and gently brushing my shoulder, Once he made contact with me he reached for me with both arms and drew him close to his chest before settling back down into a pleasant sleep

I couldn't help but giggle softly as I gently wrapped my arms around George and rest my head on his chest, our legs still entwined. Though I still felt a bit anxious and unsure of what was to come next after the events of last night, I couldn't help but smile as I laid in George's warm embrace. I gently kissed his chest, my cheeks just a little bit pink before George took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. "Good morning handsome" he said in a deep yet soft morning voice that made me tingle all over. "Buenos días Georgie" I said softly and kissed his cheek, causing George to smile sleepily before humming softly

"You did great for a virgin" George said and chuckled before planting soft kisses into my hair "You feeling alright??" he added and I nodded before sighing contently "A little sore, but I'll be fine" I said and giggled softly before nuzzling into George happily. My fears from earlier melted away as George gently rubbed my back, tracing small patterns onto it as he hummed contently and we shared soft lazy kisses planted on each other's upper bodies. It was absolute Heaven on earth, and I wouldn't give this up for anything

"Do you want breakfast??" George asked lazily after a few minutes passed and I nodded before humming in agreement "Alright, I guess we have to get up then-" George said and sighed but I only nuzzled into him more "Just a few more minutes.." I said and closed my eyes as George chuckled before planting a soft kiss on my lips "Of course Nicki" he said and I smiled softly as we resumed our contented silence in each other's arms. Eventually though we realized that our moment of bliss had to come to an end as George's stomach grumbled so we rolled out of bed. Well, George did, I realized that the only clothes I had were on the floor, so George tossed me one of his shirts while I grabbed my boxers. I hated wearing dirty underwear, but after seeing George's package there was no way I'd fit into one of his boxers

"Here, no one's gonna come and I don't care if you're not wearing any pants. This'll probably go to your knees anyways" George said and laughed while I rolled my eyes and got up to change while George put on some sweat pants and a tank top. "I've got extra toiletries in the bathroom you can use" George said as he slipped into the bathroom and I followed to see George opening a cabinet and grabbing an extra toothbrush, toothpaste, and some face care cosmetics. One glimpse into the cabinet showed several other bottles, each for a different need and I couldn't help but marvel at George's preparedness

"If these don't work for you I've got plenty others" George said as he gestured to the skin care cosmetics before brushing his teeth and I chuckled before washing my face and applying the skin care products. George finished up before I did and left probably to go to the kitchen and I found I was right when I followed him out not too long later. George was at the stove readying it with a carton of eggs nearby and a container of bacon ready to be cooked "Need help with anything??" I asked as I was used to cooking with Camilla but George just shook his head "You're my guest even if you are my boyfriend, so you just go ahead and sit down, you can watch whatever you want on the tv" George said and i couldn't help but blush

I knew we were basically official, but it still made my heart flutter for George to call me "His Boyfriend". "Alright, but I'm happy to help if you need it" I said and George chuckled before nodding "Alright, help yourself to anything in the meantime" he said before I went to the couch and sat down, wincing a bit as I did. It would probably take a lot of wincing before finally adjusting to George's cock-

I searched around a bit for the remote before flipping the tv on and just staring blankly at the buttons. Sure we had a Tv back home, but we only had a couple channels and I was never allowed to touch the remote. I played around and pressed some buttons before just confusing myself and deciding to just stay on the channel I was one which was some sort of sports channel, though I didn't recognize the game. George poked his head in and chuckled as he saw what I was watching "Baseball huh?? I didn't think you were a fan" he said and I chuckled nervously

"Honestly I don't really know how to work this thing, it's way bigger and way more complex than the tv I have at home" I admitted and George chuckled before putting a pause on breakfast and coming to help me "Here, let me move you over to Netflix, it's easier to work" he said before taking the remote and pressing a few buttons before the screen went dark. A moment later the word "Netflix" appeared and suddenly I was faced with a whole selection of shows and movies "Pick whatever you want, use these buttons to move" George said and showed me how to work the basics before going back to the stove. I had no clue what any of these options were, but I decided on something Disney since I knew that well enough

I curled up on the couch and set the remote aside once the movie started playing and I watched while George made breakfast which thankfully wasn't the same breakfast tacos Tia made nearly every morning. George came back with two plates full of scrambled eggs and bacon before handing me one and setting the other down on the coffee table in front. He went back into the kitchen and returned with two steaming cups of coffee before setting them both down and sitting on the couch besides me "What'd you choose??" He asked as he picked up his plate and i shrugged "Something Disney, I think it's that one that had them turning into ranas" I said and George cocked an eyebrow before looking back at the screen

"Ohh Princess and the Frog?? It's a good one" He said and I nodded "Yeah that, they turn into ranas" I said and George chuckled "Does that mean frog??" He asked and my cheeks turned red as I realized I'd accidentally slipped into Spanish, something I tended to do in the mornings "Yeah- oops- sometimes I switch between languages in the morning, especially when I'm tired" I said sheepishly before taking a sip of coffee and George laughed before kissing my cheek "I think it's cute" he said and I blushed harder before we returned to our breakfast and the movie

Once we'd both finished we curled into each other and watched the rest of the movie before George grabbed the remote and changed it to another movie "Lazy Saturday sounds good yeah??" He asked and I giggled before nodding "Yep.." I said and sighed contentedly as I nuzzled into George's side more. The day marched on, and by the time lunch rolled around and George was cooking again I was sitting on the counter in the kitchen as we debated our favorite foods "My ma makes the best food, she's an amazing cook and she's got this amazing mixed meat dish that is just- ugh it's so good" George said and I laughed "You think a bunch of meat in a bowl can beat my Tia's authentic puertorriqueño cooking" I said and George pursed his lips

"Fine, maybe meat can't exactly beat that. but my ma's Spaghetti can!!" George said and I just blankly stared at him "Huh??" I asked and George's jaw dropped "Have you not had spaghetti?!" He asked and I shook my head slowly "I have no idea what you're even talking about" I said and George gasped "Oh you poor thing- that's it, we're gonna make spaghetti tonight" George said as he finished up lunch. He gave me my plate which I happily ate while still on the counter as George went to the fridge and then the pantry "Oh fuck, I don't have any of the ingredients" he said and pursed his lips

"There's a bodega not too far away, but it's more like a.. what do you call it, convenient store??" I asked and George nodded "Sounds right, but I know a supermarket not too far away, could be a nice walk if we leave in the late afternoon, get back before dark" he said and I nodded. Nueva York at night was bad, and it didn't help that I was raised in the Barrio where street gangs were ever present, especially during blackouts. "We should have lunch then actually get dressed, we can head to the supermarket in about an hour" George said as he grabbed his plated and leaned on the counter next to me

"Sounds like a plan" I said and giggled between mouthfuls of George's delicious cooking and George chuckled before we returned to our lunches.Once we finished we did just as George said and I slipped on my clothes from last night which thankfully weren't dirty, making a mental note to get more clothes from my house later and pray that mi tio o tia didn't catch me and ask where I was going. If worse came to worst I could just say I was staying in Vanessa's old studio downtown closer to my job. George and I freshened up a bit and I stole a bigger flannel from him because I could before George grabbed his wallet and keys and I grabbed his hand

George chuckled softly and kissed my lips which I happily copied before we were out the door and on the streets of Nueva York. Like George said the walk was really nice even for a Saturday afternoon and soon enough we were walking through the cool doors of the supermarket. Camilla would sometimes make the trek whenever we needed a lot of food that we couldn't find at the bodega, but I'd rarely ever gone with her, so walking into the supermarket, especially with George was like a whole new experience. Finally I was with someone who wouldn't get confused by the English signs!!

George grabbed a basket near the front and I let go of his hand just out of habit before George took it right back "Don't care what these other people are thinking, we're just here to make spaghetti" he said and I couldn't help but smile as we navigated our way through the grocery store. We picked up several different vegetables, tomato sauce which I had only really had on pizza (Hey I'm still a Neoyorquino, course I've had pizza), as well as some other things like these weird stick shaped things which George told me was pasta and some wine because as George put it "Can't have romantic spaghetti dinner without wine" which I thought was adorable

We paid for our items, or rather George paid and soon we were walking out in bags and by we I mean George again. I offered to carry a bag but George refused, saying that it was his treat so he should handle the finer details. God how did I ever get a man such as George- We were only a couple blocks away from George's departamento when we were stopped at a rather long traffic light. George decided to pass the time with light kisses which quickly turned heated as no one was around. Once the light turned green George quickly sped across the walkway and ducked into an alley, which I followed him into

It was almost natural instinct to go straight into his arms and soon we were making out... in an alley... hey one of my closest friends lost her virginity in a back alley, George and I could share a kiss. But as everything with George, there was way more than meets the eye. My instincts and hormones from last night were still fresh in my system and I could tell George had the same issue (if you could call it that) since pretty soon his hand was sliding up my shirt and we both were grinding lightly against each other. I gasped and moaned softly against George's lips before he slid his leg between mine "Shh baby.." he purred softly as I was now basically dry humping George's thigh, again in some random back alley... honestly not the weirdest thing I've done nor will ever do

Even though my face was bright red and I was still extremely shy about all of this, I continued my actions, pressing my face against George's shoulder to try and muffle my soft moans while George marked up and down my neck after brushing my hair, which I'd taken down that afternoon, out of the way. I whimpered softly as my pants suddenly became unbearable and the friction was driving me crazy which only caused me to speed up to try and get some sort of relief. Soon enough after a couple minutes I could feel my orgasm building up and I bit my lip, wondering what was gonna happen next "G-Georgie I-" I moaned breathily "I-I'm close.."

George smirked and planted one last kiss on my lips before pulling away, leaving me humping air and whimpering "Don't wanna make a mess do we??" George purred as he kissed my lips again before picking up the bags of groceries he'd dropped before our little... adventure. I pursed my lips and whined before shifting uncomfortably, not used to this feeling of being left hanging. I wanted nothing more than to just reach down there and finish myself off but George was right, these were the only clothes I had at his departamento, and I had no clue if cum stains came out. But mark my words, I was going to get George back for leaving me like this


	8. Romantic Dinner and Secrets Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and George make themselves a nice romantic spaghetti dinner before the next day where some hidden secrets get unleashed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dunno if I mentioned this really, but if I have then just a reminder, but this fic is based off of an rp who's plot involved the hamilton characters being able to shapeshift into a specific animal. Nico had been created by me after the creation of that rp so that George wouldn't just be alone and (ok i know I've sad this) now Layaisdaboss and I have spun a whole life for those two so yeah. Anyways all that's to say is this chapt focuses on the shapeshifting aspect

George led me back to his departamento, having to slow down for me since I was waddling awkwardly more than I was walking. Stupid dick- Once inside though I was granted the opportunity to change into something other than my jeans which had been a major issue so I opted to change into a pair of basketball shorts that George had that went past my knees, which at least granted me some comfort as I just had to wait for my dick to calm down. George had the cockiest smirk on his face as I came out from the bedroom after changing and back into the kitchen where he was sorting out the groceries "Not a word-" I muttered and George chuckled as I stood next to him in the kitchen. It was his fault I was in this mess anyways

"So how do we make this... spaghetti" I asked as George got out a large pot and skillet while I watched "First we gotta start making the actual pasta" he said as he filled up the large pot with water which he then set to boil "Once that boils we pour in the pasta and let it cook. While that's happening we can get started on the sauce and ground beef. No meatballs though. We'll just mix the meat into the sauce and pasta" George explained as I tried to follow along. What the hell was a meatball anyways?! "Uh- ok so what first??" I asked as George went and got a large bowl "We gotta add in the ground beef and various seasonings" he said as he put the large bowl down on the table "Think you can handle that??" he teased and I rolled my eyes as I helped George mix everything into the bowl and once that was done George set me to work on making the sauce while he handled to pasta

Now I knew how to cook, so following George's recipe wasn't that hard, it just felt weird to me adding everything into a large pot and turning it into basically mush, but that's what I was supposed to do. Once I'd finished that George came and inspected my handiwork and smiled before pressing a soft kiss to my cheek "You make a fine chef" he said before returning to the large pot and I giggled softly "I've been making arroz con pollo, con gandules, quesitos de Guayaba, y mofongo since I could hold a spatula" I said and George laughed "I have no clue what any of that is but I can't wait to try it" he said and I couldn't help but smile at George's eagerness

Once George deemed the spaghetti was ready he drained the water from the pot and let the limp looking sticks cool off while he readied the meat and sauce "Your dick looks like the pasta now" he said and laughed while I blushed and rolled my eyes. Well at least my boner was gone. "What's so special about soggy grains??" I asked and George chuckled "Alone it's pretty plain, but when you add it all together it's amazing" he said before going into the pantry and returning with a small container of sugar "A trick I found out while cooking with my Ma" he said as he sprinkled some of the sugar in and I pursed my lips. What was it with Americans and adding sugar to things where it normally shouldn't belong??

"Can you pour the wine and set the table??" George asked and I nodded as George assembled the spaghetti. It took me a hot minute to find where everything was, but soon I had the table set and George had even suggested lighting some candles to make it a real cheeky romantic dinner, which I honestly thought was adorable. I sat down as George dimmed the lights and came in with two plates of the spaghetti we'd made together and he set them down on our plates. I will admit, now that it was fully assembled it did look pretty appetizing and it smelled incredible. "If you want some Parmesan it's right here" George said as he set down a small container and I nodded

George sat down at his place across from me and took a large fork full of the pasta and waited for me to do the same. He gestured his fork to me in a mini toast and I couldn't help but giggle as we both took a bite of the food. As my sight and smell had predicted, the spaghetti was amazing and already I found myself going in for a second bite before I'd completely finished the first one. George chuckled as he set down his fork and took a sip of his wine before going back for another bite "Like it??" he asked and I nodded before swallowing my food "It's amazing" I said and George beamed proudly before taking his second bite

"I will admit though, I feel like the ratio of meat and sauce is just a little bit off" I said and George raised an eyebrow "Sorry I should've asked. I like more sauce than ground beef but if you'd rather it be more even I can always plate it differently" he opted but I waved it away "No no it's totally fine, I still love it. It's just I'm not really used to stuff like this" I said and giggled softly as George nodded in understanding before going back to stuffing his face with food "I can see this being a really big hit where I'm from though" I said as I went back to eating and George smiled, though he'd managed to get some sauce on his lips so it looked like we was wearing really bad lipstick

I looked up and laughed as George cocked an eyebrow before licking his lips and chuckling "Sorry" he said but I shook my head "No no, it was cute" I said and giggled as George took another sip of his wine and waited for me to calm down. Soon enough we'd both finished our meals and had gone back for seconds which was rare for me unless mi tia was making me eat more. I helped George clear the table and do the dishes from the cooking before we had another cup of wine and just enjoyed each other's company. Soon that mutual company turned into soft cuddles and then soft kisses and them a passionate make out before I was being lead back into George's room for our second night of sex which to me was more enjoyable since I wasn't worried about getting my ass split open and passing out from the pain of my first time. Plus after what George did to me in the alley he owed it to me 

The next morning instead of waking up in George's arms like the day before I found myself alone in the bed. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, assuming George was just in the bathroom or kitchen but as I got up and stole a shirt from George's closet and slid on my boxers (god I really needed to get my own clothes-) I found that I couldn't find George anywhere which had me worried. I checked my phone to see if he'd gone somewhere and left me a message but I couldn't find anything so I just sat down on the couch and hugged a pillow, trying to think of where George could've been

My answer came to me when I heard the faint scratching of.. something coming from behind the door that George had so gracelessly passed over when he'd given me a quick rundown of the departamento. I stood up and tossed the pillow aside before creeping towards the door and calling out for George. As soon as I did the scratching stopped and I heard George's voice call through the door, but something about it was... different. It seemed a little bit lower, like it was coming more from his chest if that made any sense, but I pushed that thought aside and listened to what George said "Don't come back here!!" he called and I bit my lip before going to stand in front of the door

"George?? What's going on in there, Estás bien??" I asked, worry tinting my voice "If you're asking I'm alright I am, just.. don't come back here... I don't want you to get scared.." George called as I heard a soft thump suggesting something had hit the ground "George please, nothing could scare me, just let me come in" I called in and sighed softly as I put my hand lightly on the doorknob. I had to know what was going on in there. After a moment of silence I could hear George sigh heavily before he called "Alright fine... just- it's a lot, but I can explain" I braced myself for whatever I was about to see before I pushed open the door and peered inside the room

Nothing really jumped out at me at first, but then I noticed odd little details that stuck out to me. For starters there was a large scratching post off towards one of the walls which confused me since I hadn't seen a cat in the departamento since I came, unless that was what George kept hidden back here. Still I should've seen pet food or something. As I gazed around the room I only saw more cat toys that looked way too big for a normal house cat, and I realized why once I drew my attention to the back corner furthest away from the door where I was. There, curled up in the corner, was the biggest, hairiest thing I'd ever seen, and I almost mistook it for some type of chair until it turned and looked at me

It was a massive Lion

Everything I'd ever learned about confronting danger, every one of my muscles, and every single instinct I ever had told me to get the FUCK out of there and to lock the door, but something about the creature was... oddly familiar. Once the shock of it all went away I knew what was happening and that I'b been right originally. George was like Alex, he could change into some sort of animal. "I know this is- well- I know you probably have a lot of questions.." George said, his voice in that deep tone like I'd heard before which now made sense. I slowly sat down in the doorway and shook my head "Oddly enough, you're not the first person I know like this" I said and George's tail perked up a bit "You know someone else??" He asked and I bit my lip before answering

"Alexander. He lives in the barrio where I do. I've seen him change" I said and George sighed with relief "Well that makes my job a lot easier" he said and chuckled deeply before slowly padding over towards me. I couldn't help but flinch and George paused immediately afterwards, but I told him it was alright and eventually he'd crossed the room and was sitting before me, he was actually taller than I was while sitting which I did not appreciate-

Timidly, I reached out my hand towards George who's wet nose nuzzled into my hand. I couldn't help but smile and soon I was running my hand through his thick mane "Tenía la sensación de que serías como Alexander" I muttered to myself and chuckled softly as George nuzzled into my hand "I hope what you said was good" he said and my cheeks turned a bit red. I seriously had to make a more conscious effort not to slip into Spanish in the mornings when I haven't had coffee yet- "Ah- lo sie- sorry, I was just saying that I had a feeling you'd be something like Alexander" I said as George laid down in front of me and I scooted closer to him, continuing to gently pet the large animal who just so happened to also be my boyfriend. I swear to god- if anyone found out about this and called me a.. what is it.. furry?? If I get called a furry I am going to seriously be pissed

After a few moments of silence George started purring and I couldn't help but gush happily at the adorable nature. "Aww que adorable" I said and giggled softly as George gave a large huff "It's not cute-" he muttered and I chuckled softly as I placed a soft kiss on his big head "Yes it is" I teased and George pouted (Can lions pout?? Well George did) before resting his head on his paws "So what do we do while you're like this??" I asked as I watched George's tail lazily swish across the floor "Well it normally lasts for a day. If I don't change after awhile it forces me to" George explained and I nodded along "In the meantime, I normally just nap a lot, eat, though when you live alone and have no opposable thumbs it's kinda hard" George said and chuckled deeply "Well I can always help with that" I offered and George sighed contently as I scratched behind his ears "That would be wonderful" he said lazily and I giggled 

"Speaking of, I need desayuno and I definitely need café" I said before getting up but George looked up at me with big, soft eyes "Just a little bit longer??" He pleaded and I bit my lip lightly before sighing and sitting down with George "Of course mi amor" I said and giggled softly as I nuzzled into George's fluffy mane. I could feel him gently wrapping a large paw around me and I couldn't help but smile as I stayed nuzzled into George's soft and warm lion body for a few content minutes

As much as George and I hated to momentarily part, I needed to eat something and begin to make something for George, so I got up with a soft sigh and headed to the kitchen while George padded out into the living room "Nicki can you turn on the tv??" he called and i nodded before flipping it on for him and playing whatever was on first. George settled down and licked at his paw while I went back to the kitchen, trying not to think about how absurd what I just did was. I'd just turned on the tv for a giant lion who is also my boyfriend. 

After about 30 minutes or so I had food for me, a nice cup of coffee running through my veins with one more ready to go, and a large bowl of leftover ground beef, bacon, and some other leftovers I'd found in the fridge and heated up. I brought George his food first which he happily tore into while I returned with my own breakfast and mug. I sat crossed legged on the couch with my plate in my lap before taking the remote and somehow managing to navigate myself onto that Netflix platform George had told me about (ok ok, George had to walk me through it a bit but I mostly had it) "What should we watch??" I asked and George picked his head up from the large bowl "I like Disney. Something simple that I've seen a bunch" he said as he shook out his mane a bit "Well ironically enough" I said and chuckled softly as I scrolled through "El Rey León is here" I said and George licked at his paw "Lion king??" he asked and I nodded "We can watch that" he said as I turned it on and sat back. It would be my first time watching in English, since Kevin refused to let us watch any movies that weren't in Spanish

"Can I jump up on the couch with you?? I promise I'll fit" George said and I giggled softly before setting my plate aside and scooting as far over towards the arm of the couch as I could "Of course" I said and George gave a toothy grin before hopping onto the couch with me and nuzzled into my side. I smiled and sifted a bit to better nuzzle into George as the movie started and we happily watched it together

All was well and I actually didn't mind the English version even though it did take me a little bit to get used to after having watched the Spanish version so many times. Both of us cried like men during the tragic death scene and George even buried his face in my side to avoid it. Probably hated the scene even more as a lion. Other than that nothing out of the ordinary happened, that is until I accidentally paused the movie during the big romantic song. I was about to apologize when I realized that the audio was still playing for some odd reason which I thought was just some weird glitch until I realized that it wasn't the audio. It was George singing along to the song

It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard, and when George stopped as he realized there was no music playing I begged for him to continue and he eventually gave in, finishing out the song and leaving me in tears. Ignoring the fact that he sounded a lot like my friend Benny's singing voice, I was already craving to hear more of George's perfect voice "Why don't you sing more??" I asked once I'd pulled myself together and George just shrugged (well, as best he could anyways) "I don't think it's that good" he said and my mouth fell open "Not good?! That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard!!" I said and if lions could blush, George did. "It really isn't that good" he said and I felt like strangling something

"George, you've got a real gift, you should share it with more people and by more people I mean me" I said and I managed to get George to relax a bit and chuckle "Alright alright, I'll consider it" He said and I squealed happily before wrapping my arms around George's fluffy next "I said I'll consider it!!" George said but I didn't care. I was going to have him sing for me again. I just had to


	9. Moving in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico decides to move into George's apartment and solidify their relationship as the two become worried parents over a student going astray

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the tiny chapt but it's just a way for me to get back into the swing of writing (also I uh- kinda forgot what happened next sooooo... Laya don't come for meeee)

Sadly George and I's blissful weekend together had to come to an end, and we were forced to go back to work the following Monday, though the two of us were in very high spirits. The school day went on like normal, and everything was going smoothly. The staff was informed that the old principal was leaving to go to another school, and the vice principal would be taking his place, which was a HUGE relief for me since the other guy was kinda dick to me, and we were also given the option to earn extra pay for turning in any drugs found on campus (or any student that had them) which became a super easy way for me to earn a few quick bucks at the end of every week. George didn't know about my pick-pocketing skills, so I loved impressing him with every stash I turned in on Friday's, plus it was just fun to steal his wallet or keys and move them to different parts of the apartment. It was cute seeing him look for them after swearing he just had them in his pocket

One particular day, somewhat towards the end of the school year when George and I were eating lunch in his room, he told me something that had been bothering him lately "This is Alexander's third day complaining of being sick or leaving class for an extended amount of time, have you noticed him acting strangely in your class??" George asked and the more I thought about it, the more I realized I'd been noticing the same thing "Yeah come to think of it... Alex often asks to go to the bathroom in my class and he stays gone for awhile. I hope he isn't doing something bad" I said worriedly but George waved his fork in the air before stabbing it into his salad "Alexander isn't that kind of kid, I'd know" he said as he went back to eating, leaving me to contemplate Alex's strange behavior. He did seem awfully happy when he came to class that morning... so why was he skipping??

It took a lot of convincing Tia Camilla and Tio Kevin to let me move out which was surprising. Well- mostly it was Kevin wanting me to stay in the Barrio and Camilla not wanting me to leave at all, but eventually they let me go after conniving them that the "friend" I was staying with had a departamento closer to the school and the rent wasn't that bad, plus he'd agreed to pay for most of it since he had a decent amount of money in his pockets, which was enough to convince Kevin that I'd be ok. As I gathered up my essential things I paused to look around my room. I'd had it since I was a child, new to the states, and I still remember watching it evolve and change as I got older. As much as I wanted to keep my little trinkets and such with me I decided to keep them here, knowing that I'd always have a safe spot here at home where my childlike innocence would forever be preserved. Plus I didn't want any of my crap messing with George's minimalist interior design 

George helped me ferry my things over to his departamento once I'd gathered everything and helped me pack it all away into the closet and bathroom. We spent that night uh... christening our new home together which we just made up as an excuse for another night of sex. Hey man, I wasn't letting that fine cock go to waste

Summer came quickly and with it a whole new chapter, one that would probably involve me being forced to introduce George to everyone back in the Barrio and eventually coming out to Kevin and Camilla, but I wasn't quite ready for it yet. During the last few days of the school year I saw less and less of Alex which only served to make George and I even more worried but then again, Alex was his own young man but still, he was such a smart kid, he shouldn't be throwing his school life away for whatever he was doing when he was gone. I tried to ask some of the students in my class but most were just as confused as I was. On the last day though, it was a French student (don't know why he was taking Spanish and not his native language-) whose name to this day I still have trouble pronouncing who finally told me why Alex was gone so much and I quickly relayed the information to George as we left

"Alexander has a boyfriend??" George asked as we got into his car and I nodded "According to one of my students yes. Apparently they skip together and go who knows where. This student was only able to find out because one weekend he, Alexander, and Alex's boyfriend all went to the arcade together as friends" I explained as George started up the car "Hm.. well whoever this young man is I don't like him if he's dragging Alexander away from school. He's such a smart kid with a bright future ahead of him, but in this last grading period I saw he got some of the lowest grades I've seen him get. Granted they were still A's but they were all low A's with one 95" George said and I sighed softly "I have to agree but it's not like we're Alexander's parents, he's a high schooler and should be able to distinguish right from wrong" I said and George clenched his jaw "I just can't help but be worried for him... working as a teacher, you get exposed to a lot of hormones and in my case pheromones" George said and I cocked my head to the side

"Is it because you can change into a lion??" I asked and George nodded "Mhm.. I know who all the other students are who are like me and Alexander is one of him. I always keep a close eye on him because I can tell he's always tense, there's always something bothering him and true these past few weeks he's been in better spirits but I can still sense an underlying worry. It makes my head hurt sometimes" George explained and I carefully listened to his words "How many other students are like this??" I asked and George shrugged "I can only count the ones I have in my class, but there's definitely more than just me and Alexander" he said "Though the rest appear to be alright and at least have their shit together"

"Alexander lives where I used to, maybe we'll see him during the summer, check in on him" I suggested and George nodded in agreement "I just hope he's alright... he reminds me of a little kitten sometimes.." He said as I thought back to when I'd first seen Alex as an animal. NOTHING about it reminded me of a kitten, but I guess when you're a huge, fully grown adult lion like George, anything else would seem pretty kitten like. "So. Got any plans for the summer??" George asked as a topic change was needed to lighten the mood and I shrugged "Anything with you seems like a good idea" I said and chuckled as George laughed "Sounds good to me. First things first though, I need to catch up on one sleep. Final exams are brutal for the teachers too" He said and I nodded. The last week of school was my first time experiencing finals from the teacher's point of view and George was right, it was hell. "That sounds amazing, not gonna lie'' I said and giggled as George pulled us into the parking lot at his departamento "So, it's a date??" George asked and I nodded before we got out of the car and went into the building together to promptly collapse in each other's arms on the couch

Best way to start our first summer together


	10. Remember when I said I didn't want to come out??

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico takes George to his Aunt and Uncle's home in the Barrio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> keep in mind, the Puerto Rican people living on the island call themselves Borinqueños but some (and more popularly Americans) call them Puertorriqueños, since Nico was born on the Island of Puerto Rico but has grown up in America, he sometimes switches between the two as he's grown up with both being used. Just a little fun fact 
> 
> Oh and a small homophobia warning cause Kevin is just kinda an ass

Summer quickly came with the end of school and with it, a new chapter in my life with George. Now that I was done frantically trying to grade assignments some idiots turned in 20 minutes before grades were due, I could finally just relax with George and not down 5 cups of coffee in order to stay up until 3 am for a week furiously emailing idiotic students who didn't turn things in, trying to help them not fail my class. Man- and I thought teachers were assholes when I was a student, I had no idea that this was what teaching would entail. Besides, how was I supposed to know that people thought it was a good idea to turn in an entire semester worth of work the day before it's due. Needless to say, I had a few seniors that were dangerously close to failing, but out of the goodness of my heart I let them scrape by with a 70. Well, at least the students who actually cared about school at least

Now, George and I could spend the days and nights curled up with each other and watching movies and just chatting happily without a care in the world. It was nice to not have to worry about anything stressful and just relax with the man I loved. Although my bliss came to an end when I got a message from my friend Vanessa, inviting me to go clubbing with her and her boyfriend Usnavi. A part of me wished to decline, but then again, it had been awhile since I'd gone clubbing. Maybe if I could just go by myself and not have to worry about everyone meeting George- "Who's that from??" George asked as he wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my head, causing me to jump a bit before sighing softly and relaxing a bit. Well there went the going by myself option

"It's from a friend of mine from back home, she's asking if I wanna go clubbing with her and her boyfriend" I said as I prayed George wouldn't ask anymore. "Sounds nice, do you think she'd mind if I tagged along, I've never really been clubbing before" George said as I nodded. Even though I was a bit worried how people might react to us being together, I was still happy that George was interested in going. For a moment I decided to stay optimistic, until another text from Vanessa made my phone buzz and I looked down as my heart fell into my shoes [Oh and, Kevin and Camilla are having their annual dinner and they asked if I could ask you to come, Camilla wants to make sure you're ok, we haven't seen you in the Barrio in a couple months now]. Great. Now I had to bring George to meet mi tia y tio... oh boy

"Are Kevin and Camilla your aunt and uncle??" George asked and I nodded "Yeah, and they want me to come to dinner. Which means you better come with me" I said as I looked up at George who chuckled softly "I don't mind going" he said as he kissed my nose. Well at least George wasn't worried, but I sure as hell still was. I mean- I guess I could just say George was a friend of mine, I did tell Kevin and Camilla that he was just my roommate. Maybe we could actually pull this off... I mean it was doubtful but hey, there was still a chance

The date was set for that Friday night, and I spent the days leading up to it worrying myself sick, with George doing his best to assure me that everything was going to go smoothly and by the time Friday did roll around, I was definitely feeling more confident. God what would I do without George- We dressed up for the night, something casual but with a bit of class, fit for an important dinner and the club later that night. I couldn't believe I was about to go back into the Barrio after so much time living with George, it felt a bit surreal if I was being honest. "All ready to go??" George asked "I don't think it's a far walk is it" he added and I shook my head before patting myself down to make sure I had my wallet and phone "Maybe 10 minutes at most, and the sun's already going down so it won't be hot" I said as George twirled his keys on his finger and came over to kiss my cheek "Everything'll be alright"

Everything was not alright

Well, it was ok I guess, but I wouldn't have called the fiasco of coming out "alright"

I knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it as George quickly stole one final kiss before we would have to act straight for the time being. I mean I did it for most of my teenage and young adult years, how hard could it really be now that I had a boyfriend- Ok I see the issue now- My friend Usnavi opened the door and we shared happy greetings before he turned inside and announced our presence. Usnavi led George and I inside to find Vanessa setting the table with Kevin sitting at the head while a delicious aroma wafted in from the kitchen, now I knew where Camilla was. "Hola Tio" I said as Kevin curtly nodded his head to me before fixing his eyes on George and I felt like I could see the cogs in his head turning. I swear if Kevin gets mad at me for George being not Latino I swear- I was already acting straight I didn't need my racist uncle to make things worse

"So you're the friend Nickolas has been staying with, yes??" Kevin asked and George nodded before going to formally introduce himself to Kevin while Vanessa pulled me aside "Ok two things, 3 actually" she said before punching my arm "Ow what the hell-" I muttered as Vanessa crossed her arms "That's number one" she said as I rolled my eyes "And what, is 2 and 3 you kicking me??" I asked and Vanessa laughed before hugging me, which I happily returned. "I was just worried about you, all of a sudden you leave the barrio with some guy and don't even text me?! I mean come on man, I get you discounts at the salon" Vanessa said and as I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck "I've been trying to come back, but being a teacher is a bigger commitment than I thought" I said as Vanessa pursed her lips "Alright I'll take it I guess, finally, why does your friend look so much like Benny??" Vanessa asked as Usnavi came and joined our little entourage "I was just gonna ask the same thing" he said as he took Vanessa's hand while I tried to explain

"I honestly have no idea" I finally said as Vanessa snickered "I think you're just compensating for a lack of Benny" she teased as I rolled my eyes and tried not to blush "Ha ha, speaking of, where is Benny?? I thought he'd jump on the chance to go clubbing, it's damn near close to his anniversary with my cousin" I said as I checked my phone to see if I had any messages from my friend, only to quickly put it up as I realized I'd bought myself a pride phone case. And it had glitter- if the rainbow wasn't enough to sell me out that sure as hell would be. "He's in California with Nina, they're coming back in a couple days though" Usnavi said as I pursed my lips. Benny just probably wanted an excuse to bone my cousin without my uncle yelling at him. No I'm not jealous-

Usnavi looked over my shoulder at Kevin and George who were sitting next to each other and seemingly getting along now "Well your Uncle certainly seems to like him better than Benny" he pointed out and Vanessa and I cast glances at the two. "He's just a natural charmer" I blurted and Vanessa smirked. Damnit, I kept forgetting Vanessa was bisexual like George, she'd be able to sniff out our relationship in a heartbeat. "Usnavi can you come help me carry this pot to the table??" Mi tia called before I called back to her "Why don't you get someone else, I don't think Usnavi's arms'll be able to carry the pot" Usnavi shot a glare at me as Vanessa tried to bite back a laugh before George stood up "I can come get it Mrs. Rosario" he said as he found his way into the kitchen "I could've done it-" Usnavi muttered as I chuckled and went to sit down at the table while Camilla lead George into the dining room with serving platters and the aforementioned pot of what smelled like arroz con pollo, Camilla's specialty Borinqueño dish

"Muchos Gracias" Camilla said as George set the pot down on the table "De nada" he responded and I couldn't help but smile a bit to myself from pride. Vanessa caught it though, and she pulled me away from Usnavi "Are you two dating??" she asked plainly and the panic alarm blared in my head "What?? No, of course not" was my automatic response but Vanessa didn't seem to take the bait, luckily I was saved when Camilla called everyone in for dinner and she and I went and took our places at the table with Kevin still at the head and Camilla next to her. I sat on the other side of Kevin with George next to me, and Usnavi and Vanessa next to Camilla. Great- I had to be right by my Aunt and Uncle. "So George, you were just telling me that you and Nickolas both work at the same school, correct??" Kevin questioned as George nodded while I busied myself with eating so I wouldn't have to talk "That's correct sir, Nicki-" George began to say before he cleared his throat and I prayed no one caught on "Nick and I ran into each other on his first day and have been close friends since" he said and chuckled softly

Dear god it felt like we were being interrogated, hell I wouldn't be surprised if that was Tio's intent all along. Usnavi ate on like nothing was wrong but Vanessa kept a close eye on us and Camilla too was looking at George and I, probably because she could sense something was off. Oh boy-"I see.." Kevin said before accepting the story and returning to his eating. George and I snuck a sigh of relief before returning to eating as well, but Vanessa kept her eyes on me. We got through all of dinner without anything going wrong, but when chatting sparked again while Camilla and I did the dishes, things slipped back into the danger zone

Kevin asked for a drink and Camilla sent me to go do it before calling Usnavi in to help her. "Aw come on I did the dishes last time" Usnavi muttered as he got up "Vanessa helped cook, it is only fair for you to clean" Camilla called and Vanessa smirked as Usnavi groaned softly and got up to go into the kitchen "George you mind helping me out??" he asked and George chuckled softly "Nah I've already been through that all" he said and Vanessa and I's eyes widened. Not a coming out joke- Usnavi pursed his lips and shrugged "Nah that's more of my cousin's thing" he said and Kevin looked up "Oh no-" George muttered as Kevin laced his fingers on the table "Usnavi isn't your cousin one of those queers??" he asked as Usnavi realized what was going on and he gave an apologetic look towards me and George "Yes sir" Usnavi said as Kevin nodded and looked at me and George

"What does Sonny being bi have anything to do with me and George??" I asked as Kevin turned his attention towards me "I'm sorry??" Kevin asked as I gulped but stood my ground "I asked a question Uncle '' I said as Kevin crossed his arms "I did too, and you should respect me. Now tell me. What did you mean" Kevin said. Ok now I was dead. I found myself shifting in my chair closer to George as he took my hand underneath the table. Usnavi stayed at the table by Vanessa as Camilla came back from the kitchen. "Nickolas'' Kevin said which shook me back to reality "Um-" I stammered, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't get me killed by my uncle. "It's nothing-'' I eventually said and Kevin raised an eyebrow before turning his attention back to George

"This is for the both of you, but especially for George as I've just met him" Kevin said before continuing his lecture "But I suggest that you shouldn't get tangled up with all of this... this queer nonsense" Kevin said as he waved his hand dismissively. Camilla's face remained neutral but Usnavi and Vanessa both appeared just as taken aback or pissed as I was feeling. How could my Uncle say something like that?! George leaned into me slightly to whisper a careful warning into my ear but Kevin wasn't done talking "These gays... I reckon they're just trying to screw up everything people have worked so hard for. It's just unnatural-" I stood up, pushing my chair back and slammed my hands on the table, stopping Kevin's disgusting speech. I was done sitting by peacefully and letting Kevin just spout whatever harmful nonsense he wanted "How could you say that?!" I said and Camilla took a step forward "Nickolas I think it's time that you and George-" she began to say but I wasn't about to be shut down again

"George and I have been dating for months now!! Are you happy now?! Still think gays are disgusting now that your own nephew is one?!" I yelled and the room fell complete silent, all except for Vanessa whispering something to Usnavi, probably telling him that she guessed George and I had been a couple this whole time. "Nickolas what are you talking about??" Camilla asked but Kevin held up a hand and signaled for her to sit down before turning back to me, only to see George standing next to me with a calming hand on my shoulder. My heart was pounding, and I was honestly scared for my life, and Kevin must've seen it as he studied me and George. I just prayed he wouldn't kick me out of the Barrio

"I still don't understand.." Camilla said after a moment of tense silence "Camilla, our nephew is.. he's gay and has been with the man he's brought into our home, what more is there" Kevin said as George squeezed my shoulder "With all due respect sir... Nick and I mean no harm to anyone... We just want to be together, and I promise I'll take good care of your nephew. Kevin sighed and rubbed his temples before looking at Camilla, and then back at us before muttering something I'd rather not repeat before nodding to George and I "I'll allow it I suppose" he finally said, and it was like a weight had been lifted off of me "Gracias... Muchos Gracias Tio.." I said, trying not to tear up anymore then I likely already had. I wasn't expecting Kevin to allow George and I to be together, George must've done or said something to convince him to give us a chance. "Now get out of here and go to that stupid club you're all addicted to" Kevin said dismissively and I don't think I'd left a room any faster than I did when leaving with George, Usnavi, and Vanessa


	11. The Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this chapter and the next one probably will be based around the plots from Lin Manuel-Miranda's songs "The Club", "Blackout", and "Sunrise" from his musical "In the Heights" i've just tweaked them a bit to better fit these two characters. I acknowledge that the core basics are not mine and suggest that any readers listen to the original songs to support Lin and his amazing music

After a short walk (since we were all walking rather quickly) we arrived at the Club and could hear the upbeat music just barely muffled behind the closed door. Getting past the bouncer at the front was no problem for any of us as all of us were frequenters of the Club, and the bouncer mistook George for Benny and let him in free of charge as an old favor. Maybe this odd coincidence could come in handy after all. Once inside the familiar sound of blaring music washed over me. Vanessa was immediately dragged onto the dance floor while Usnavi, George, and I made our way to the bar for a couple drinks. I wasn't much for booze, but i let myself get a drink cause lord knows I needed it after the shitshow that was dinner with Tio Kevin

As George and Usnavi chattered happily with each other I found myself staring longingly at the dance floor, my feet already tapping out the rhythm of the quick dancing music. I downed my drink and shuddered a bit before turning to George and Usnavi "I'm gonna head onto the dance floor" I said and George nodded "Alright, I'll meet you on there" he said and I tried not to laugh as I wished him luck and melted into the mass of dancing bodies, almost instantly getting swept up with some chick in a dance. Even though I was Gay and so totally NOT into woman, I didn't mind the intimate dancing that came with the Clubs. In fact, if anything it was more enjoyable for me since I didn't have to worry about awkward boners and getting dragged away for back alley sex. And now that the whole Barrio knew of my sexuality, I didn't have to worry about trying to explain to any chick why she wasn't getting dicked down. I'm just happy they still danced with me

After a couple songs and a few chicks I eventually saw that George had made his way to the dance floor, attempting to make his way over to me, only to be swept up and made to dance with some other chick. By the look on George's face it was obvious he wasn't used to the random and ever changing dance partners that came with the quick barrio dancing, but a part of me longed to dance with him. We tried to meet in the middle, which was one of the only empty spots in the whole dance floor and soon we were together. George was the first there and once I'd gotten there and started dancing with him I could see why "You dance like some sort of school boy" I teased and George frowned, which was almost as adorable as his smile "What'd you mean?? I'm dancing" he said and I laughed "You're dancing like a white boy at the prom. Come on you're in a Latino club, there ain't no room for white dancing" I teased before slowing down to help George learn the new steps he'd been needing for the Club

Surprisingly it didn't take very long, and soon George and I were dancing just as good as any other couple on the floor, Well, except for Usnavi and Vanessa. Vanessa was one of the Barrio's best dancers while Usnavi... well... he was trying. We'd tried everything to get him to learn and he had gain some skill, granted it did take 4 years for him to get to where he was, but hey, it was something right?? Soon enough though our blissful dancing was interrupted as we were torn apart by new partners and taken to different parts of the dance floor. Sure I knew that our time dancing together would come to an end but at the same time, I was pretty pissed about it. Plus the other dancer was getting way too up close and personal with George which for sure wasn't gonna fly with me. I tried going over to talk to them, but they just brushed me aside and George looked at me with pleading eyes. It was obvious he was uncomfortable so I used my lifeline to get him out of there

"Hey Nessa" I said after I'd stolen her away from some sleazeball "I need a favor" I added as we danced together on the floor "Some asshole won't leave you alone??" She asked as I spun her and I shook my head "Some asshole won't leave George alone and I don't think he's very happy about it" I said and Vanessa winked at me before spinning away and waltzing over to where George and the other dancer were. As soon as the dancer caught Vanessa's eyes they broke away and swept her up and I took my chance to get back with George "You alright??" I asked as we just swayed together for a bit to let George recuperate "I think so?? But goddamn that was..." "Intense??" I finished and George nodded "Yeah- I heard some things that I never wanna hear again" he said and shivered and I couldn't help but laugh

My rescue mission quickly turned out to be in vain as I was pulled away from George and swept into the arms of another man. Since coming out, (as well as others being outed as well) I'd noticed more and more queers exploring with each other. A part of me loved to see it, but at the same time, I was just in the middle of dancing with my boyfriend and now this asshole was getting all touchy touchy with me. I scanned the room for Vanessa but found her busy being swarmed by a hoard of horny men which meant it was up to me and George to figure something out. I looked around and found George making his way over to us and I gave him the same pleading look that he'd given me not too long ago. Sure we'd been in the same situation, but apparently we have VASTLY different ways of solving them. George first tried asking politely, but was met with a curt "Get lost" and soon enough my partner was snaking his hands down my sides and inching their way towards my belt. I shuddered and tried pulling away but I suddenly found myself without my partner and by the time I turned I realized what had happened

George had forcefully pulled him off of me, likely fueled by rage at seeing someone touching me, and before I could get him to calm down he landed a sharp hook on the man's jaw which spurred a flurry of shouting and fighting. Fists and feet flying every which way as I tried to fight my way through the crowd to George, calling out for him and begging him to stop. For a split second I could see him through the mess of bodies and I found him shaking out his fists and shouting at someone on the floor, likely the man that had just been my partner. I was just about to open my mouth again when out of nowhere the lights switched off and the music came to a scratching halt. Screams filled the packed room and suddenly I was being swept off of my feet and pushed to wherever the mob was going in it's panic which could only mean one thing

Blackout

**Author's Note:**

> Again, thanks to the amazing Layaisdaboss for a) letting me write this and b) rping this with me in the beginning. Together we've created an amazing story that originally may have never even happened. So thank you


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